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COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE 



FROM THE GUNROOM TO THE QUARTER-DECK 



BY 



JAMES BARNES 

AUTHOR OF MIDSHIPMAN KARRAfJUT, FOR 
KING OR COUNTRY, NAVAL ACTIONS OF 
THE WAR OF 1 8 1 2, A l.OYAI, TRAITOR, ETC. 



ILLUSTRATED BY GEORGE GIBBS AND OTHERS 




•^ 



SCIMK1AK I'KESENTED Tl) COMMOnOKK 
BAINBKIDGE BY SIDI MOHAMMEU D'GIIIEKS 



NEW YORK 

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 

1897 






s\ 



?" 






^3fs 



3ZiB 



•7 
/.I 



Copyright, 1897, 
By D. APPLETON AND COMPANY. 



PUBLISHER'S NOTE. 



It will be oi interest to know that the miniature por- 
trait of Mrs. Bainbridge, the scimiter presented by Sidi 
Mohammed D'Ghiers, and the sword presented by General 
Hislop arc all reproduced from the originals in the pos- 
session ' of a family descended from Commodore Bain- 
bridge, which includes among its number the au^^hor of 
this book. This circumstance readily suggests the ex- 
ceptional opportunities at the author's command in the 
way of uni)ublished letters and papers, and in a personal 
knowledge, which imparts a peculiar actuality to the 
scenes described in his story. 



LIST OF FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. 



FACING 
PAGE 



The Java strikes ........ Frontispiece 

Mutiny on the Cantor .......... i6 ^ 

On tlie deck of the Vulontier 47 * 

The Turki>h admiral visits the \Va.-,hington 76 • 

The miniature of Mrs. Bainbridge .... ... 109 

Decatur boarding the Philadelphia 130 • 

Watching the bombardment from the Tripoli prison cell . . . 138 '« 

Action between the Constitution and the Java . . . 163 " 

Bainbridge's reception at Boston . . 167 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



CHAPTER I. 

John Taylor, Esq., of Monmouth County. New Jer- 
sey, was walking slowly along beneath the shade of the 
trees bordering the path that led from the turnpike up to 
the big white house, an odd-looking building begun by his 
fatherland completed by himself, in an entirely different 
style of architecture, a score of years previous to the 
time this story begins. It had an air of ponderous pros- 
perity. 

As the old gentleman walked slowly up the path he 
took from his pocket a letter, the seal of which had already 
been broken, and thrusting his gold-headed stick beneath 
his arm, he re-read the epistle for the second time. 

Mr. Taylor was stamped with the unmistakable air 
of wealth, respectability, and importance. One could see 
that his was a mind that came to conclusions slowly, and 
in the Hues of his strongly marked old face a close student 
of character would have perceived firmness and resolution. 
He halted for an instant before he stepped out into the 
brio-ht sunlio-ht at the end of the row of trees, and finished 
his letter, reading the last words half aloud: 

" I trust, mv dear sir, that you will find our son tract- 
able in disposition, willing and eager to meet your views, 
and obedient to your behests. Although he is so young. 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



his mother and myself have discovered in him evidences 
of a lofty temperament, and I am sure that no lad could 
wish for a better promise for the future than the chance 
of spending his early life near one so able to teach the 
importance of high moral sentiments and proper rules 
of conduct as vourself. I shall bring William to vou in 
the course of the next fortnight. Believe me. I am. most 
honored sir. vour verv devoted son-in-law, Absalom Bain- 
bridge." 

When Mr. Taylor reached the portico of the house 
he turned and looked back toward the big gateway 
and smiled broadly and pleasantly. It was almost as 
if he had seen some one whom he was glad to welcome 
walking toward him. and in his imagination the old 
man had pictured a boxish figure coming up the shaded 
walk. 

Yes. it would be pleasing to have his grandson here; 
the old house had been lonely for many years. It would 
be a delightful task to again feel a young mind expanding 
under his control, for John Taylor was one of those nat- 
ural-born instructors, a man with a gift of imparting in- 
formation and controlling character. 

As he stood there mopping his forehead with a large 
handkerchief, and smoothing back the thin, gray hair tied 
in a long queue down his back, his thoughts were inter- 
rupted by the approach of a little dried-up individual 
whose appearance showed that he occupied a position 
above that of a servant ; but his manner was respectful, 
and was that of one well accustomed to Mr. Taylor's 
peculiarities, lie coughed gently to attract the old gen- 
tleman's attention. 

" Ah, Fenwick ! " exclaimed the latter, turning. 
" Good news! Mv grandson is coming to us inside of a 
fortnight." 

" I am very glad of that, sir." was the reply. " I was 



COMMODORE RAINBRIDGE. 



much taken with the young gentleman at my first sight 
of him, sir." 

With that the two old men entered the house. 

Two weeks later a heavy, clumsy-looking coach rolled 
down the Aliddlctown turnpike and stopped at the big- 
gate of the Taylor place, and a boy of about thirteen years 
of age clambered down from the top. His box was handed 
to the roadside by the guard, and he stood there looking 
across the lawn at the great white house that seemed to 
smile a welcome from its wide-open doors and windows. 
There was no shade of sadness or despondency in the 
boy's face; he looked eagerly through the gateway as if 
expecting some one to come and meet him, and at this 
instant two figures appeared upon the veranda. His 
grandfather's appearance was well known to him, and al- 
though too far off to speak a word, he lifted his hat in 
a salutation at long range. Soon the old gentleman came 
hurrying down to meet him, accompanied by a servant, 
who shouldered the box and followed his master and the 
newcomer back to the house. 

" Mother sends her love to you and my father sends 
assurances of his deep regard, and regrets that it was im- 
possible for him, owing to his practice, sir, to accompany 
me," said the boy gravely, after the first words of greeting. 

"And they are all well? " inquired Mr. Taylor kindly, 
but speaking as though he were addressing a man of 
mature age and understandinQ-. 

" All well, sir. 1 am glad to say." 

" And so you wish to study to become a merchant, 
or mayhap a lawyer, eh, William? " 

" I had rather be a sailor, sir." 

" Highty-tighty! " exclaimed Mr. Taylor, lifting his 
evebrows; " and what put such an idea as that into vour 
head?" 

" I thought about it a great deal, grandfather," the lad 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



answered. " In fact, ever since we came to New York 
1 lia\c- likc'(l to think of going to sea." 

" What does your father say to it, W'ilHam? " 

'' He says I'm too young to decide what I want; but 
I haven't spoken to him about it for a long time now." 

" Then vnu would rather be a sailor and have to en- 
dure all the hardships of his precarious calling than to 
be a merchant and have dry ground under your feet, and 
a safe living always in peace and comfort? " 

" ^'es, sir. I think so." 

" Well, well! ■■ smiled the old man. a little nonplused at 
his grandson's calm frankness. " We'll see about all 
this after a while; perhaps you will change your mind." 

" I think not, sir." 

" We'll see." responded the grandfather. Then he 
went on to ask questions of the boy about his studies, 
his progress in the classics and languages, and to his 
delight he found him responsive and eager to learn. 

Before the day was over John Taylor's heart went out 
to the son of his only daughter, and a great affection grew 
between them, to ripen into trust and confidence never 
to be displaced. And tlius it is easy to perceive that 
young William Bainbridgc's changing his home from that 
of his father, a hard-working jihysician in New York cit\". 
to the shelter of the mansion of his maternal grandfather 
auirured well for his future career in life. 

Two very imcventful years followed in the peaceful 
New Jersev town. StiuKing with his grandfather and 
the village schoolmaster, young liainbridge made great 
progress, and endeared himself to all those with whom 
he came in contact. P>ut there is not space to tell of 
these early school days tluit tlew by as quickly with Wil- 
liam as the\' do with e\ery boy. 'I'hat unalteiaMe in- 
clination tow aril the life of a seafaier had led him upon 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



more than one occasion respectfully to petition his parents 
and Mr. Taylor to grant him an opportunity of taking 
up early a profession in which sooner or later he be- 
lieved he would hnd himself. He dreamed of ships and 
the sea. 

Although ]Mr. Taylor had nothing to complain of in 
regard to the way he attended to his duties and pursued 
his studies, with great wisdom he saw at last that it would 
be best to grant the boy's request, and, instead of hinder- 
ing him in fulfilling the wishes of his heart, he concluded, 
not without sorrow and some misgivings, to give him a 
good start, and place him in a position to make the best 
of any opportunities for advancement. To this end he 
wTOte to Dr. Bainbridge a letter that surprised the good 
physician into an expression of astonishment, for it advo- 
cated placing William under the charge and patronage 
of a " respectable and intelligent commander " whom 
Grandfather Taylor knew w^as soon about to sail from 
Philadelphia. 

" We had better let the lad follow his inclinations — a 
determined spirit may be broken, but not bent," read the 
letter. '' Let him go to sea." 

After some delay and much discussion, this was 
agreed to, and William, at the age of fifteen, started for 
Philadeli)hia with a letter in his pocket introducing him 
to Captain Waldron, well known as one of the most care- 
ful and painstaking officers then sailing out of the port 
of Philadelphia. 

The good ship Ariel was his vessel, and, although she 
was small, she had made many voyages, and had the repu- 
tation of being a lucky ship with all the seamen— -a point 
in her favor that offset her small size in securing a good 
crew. 

Thus far this introductory chapter deals but slightly 
with the personal qualitications or the appearance of the 



COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 



hero of the succeeding tale, so before we follow him 
in his numerous adventures a few words are not amiss. 
He was a tall boy for his age, with a dignified, quiet man- 
ner, gentlemanly bearing, and a low. modulated voice. 
He was strong and active and of an adventurous dis- 
position. In every boyish enterprise where peril was to be 
encountered, he had been the leader of his youthful 
comrades and many stories of his school days might 
be recounted. But we skip over the early life at Mid- 
dletown to the very day on which began the career that 
has made his name famous among those " who go down 
to the sea in ships," and made him. moreover, a model for 
the young American sailor to look up to. 

Fenwick. Mr. Taylor's confidential clerk and general 
major-domo, accompanied \\'illiam on the way to Phila- 
delphia. If there was one thing that the wizened little 
man objected to. it was the idea that any one in whom 
he felt an interest shoukl display such a lack of apprecia- 
tion as to choose to adopt the life of a seaman. And 
so William was compelled to listen to a long lecture, and 
many mournful predictions as to what might become of 
him after leaving good dry land. 

He dreamed of the numerous dangers that Fonwick 
had called up to his mind — shipwreck and disaster, pirates 
and icebergs — but awoke the next morning undeterred 
and eager. He jxirted from his old frieml at P)urton's 
Coffee House after a hasty breakfast, and all alone he 
walked to the water front, to present himself to Ci\p- 
tain W'aldron on board the Ariel, then almost ready to 
set sail. 



CHAPTER II. 

" Well, my young gentleman," said Captain Waklron, 
looking up from a letter that he had just finished reading, 
" this is no time to make a speech to you; in fact we are 
so busy that I have hardly time for more than a few words, 
but those are words of welcome. We are glad to have 
you aboard. And I can promise you that you will have 
every opportunity given you to show what you are 

made of." 

He surveyed young Bainbridge from head to foot, and 
then turning to one of the sailors, he directed him to 
take the little sea chest down below and show the young 
gentleman where he was to swing his hammock. 

A great many captains in those days took out with 
them upon their voyages young boys who had shown a i)re- 
dilection for the sea, instructing them in seamanship and 
navigation, and thus many of the larger vessels were prac- 
tically school-ships that turned out many young officers 
who afterward became famous in the service of their 
country, for, most unfortunately, the regular navy, during 
the ten years that followed the cessation of hostilities 
between Great Britain and the United States, had 
dwindled into nothing. 

Captain Waldron's vessel was not large enough to 
accommodate many young gentlemen, and upon this voy- 
age Bainbridge found himself the only scholar. 

" That's a likely youngster," observed the captain to 
his first mate, his eyes following William's figure as it dis- 

7 



COMMODORE BAIXBRIDOE. 



appeared down the companion way. " I can tell by the 
looks of a lad how he's going to move. He's quick- 
handed and quick-witted, mark my words, Mr. Seth. 
There's a topman and an officer, too, in the make-up of 
him." 

Mr. Seth was not altogether an optimistic person. 
He was curt and short-spoken in his manner, and a be- 
liever in the hard school from which he had graduated, 
for he had worked his way from the forecastle to the 
quarter-deck, and had not " come in through the cabin 
window," as he expressed it. 

" Three weeks at sea will show us more about the 
lad," he observed. " But I confess, sir, I rather like the 
cut of his jib myself." 

" I wish you to give him every opportunity, Mr. Seth." 

" Be easy on that score, sir," Mr. Seth mad^ answer. 
" He will not be neglected." 

And this was a fact. Before the Ariel was four weeks 
from land young Bainbridge had proved, even to the 
first mate's satisfaction, that the choice of his calling had 
not been made haphazard. He could lay upon the yard 
with the best of them. His work was thoroughly done, 
and he kept his eyes and ears o])cn to such good advan- 
tage that even before the return voyage was over he was 
no longer counted a green hand, and had lost all traits 
that niark the landsman. 

Captain Waldron was delighted. Although not given 
to praising, upon one occasion, when Bainbridge had sur- 
prised him by his alertness and good judgment, he placed 
his hands on the boy's shoulder. 

" My son," he said. " some youngsters I've advised to 
go home and seek a place in the counting house, some 
few to return to their mothers, but the sea is the place for 
you. there's no mistaking." 

Thus when Bainbridge returned home from his maiden 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



voyage his family found him well launched in his career, 
and Cirandfather Taylor did not regret the fact that he 
had been instrumental in helping to provide the mer- 
chant service with so proficient a candidate for honors. 

For three years he sailed with his good friend Cap- 
tain W'aldron. and at the age of eighteen the latter wrote 
to the firm that owned the Ariel, stating that, if they 
wished to keep the services of young Bainbridge, they 
had better offer him a berth aft at the earliest possible 
moment, despite the fact of his extreme youth. The 
captain concluded by saying that he should have been 
glad to take him out with him as first of^cer on his next 
voyage, but. he added, he was reluctantly compelled to 
stay on shore for some months, and he bespoke for his 
young charge the first vacant position that could be 
found on any ship of the company that might be sailing. 

William was paying a visit to the parents in New York 
when he received the notice of his appointment as first 
mate of the ship Cantor, sailing in the Holland trade. 
His stay on shore was cut short, and he hurried to Phila- 
delphia to assume his post. 

Before young Bainbridge had been on board of the 
Cantor half an hour he found that his position was to be 
very different from that of first mate on the vessel on 
which he had previously served. It needed but a glance 
at the crew to determine that the men were a bad lot. 
and the captain was not the man to have been placed 
in charge of them. He was undersized, and did not pos- 
sess an air of authority. 

It w^as the day previous to sailing, but the crew, at 
least those of them that were on board, were in various 
stages of intoxication. The cargo had been stowed, and 
Captain Stebbins was waiting for the tide, to set sail 
on the following morning. 

Bainbridge looked older than his years. He stood 



lo COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

five feet eleven inches, and weighed about one hundred 
and eighty pounds. His broad shoulders and deep chest, 
and the tremendous strength of his arms and back, to- 
gether with the fearless glance of his eye, gave him the 
appearance of being at least four or five years older than 
he really was. But he longed for Captain Waldron and 
Mr. Seth, and his fears that there might be trouble 
before long were verified by the first words spoken l)y 
Captain Stebbins after their greeting. 

" Glad to see you, Mr. Bainbridge, and I might as well 
tell you that 1 am agreeably disappointed, sir. I had 
been told that you were but a lad who had secured this 
appointment through family influence. It will be a man's 
job to handle that lot of cutthroats — just look at them! " 

Bainbridge glanced at the forecastle where three or 
four surly, hangdog-looking villains were sitting with their 
backs against the rail. Then he looked at Captain Steb- 
bins's irresolute face, and again at the group on the 
forecastle. One of the men at this moment produced a 
big black bottle and, without any effort at concealment, 
passed it to his comrades. Each one of them took a pull, 
and the last half-insolently held the bottle up to the 
light and said in words loud enough to be heard well aft: 

" Here's to the young gentleman on the quarter-deck." 

" Hadn't you better stop that, sir? " inquired Bain- 
bridge politely of the captain. 

The latter turned his head away. 

" I'm afraid to attempt it, Mr. Bainbridge, just now; 
'twas hard enough to get a crew as it is. In fact. I had to 
])ay them something in advance, and I fear mo liioy would 
leave the shij") — wait till we get to sea. Wo can't pre- 
vent it now." 

" T think T can prevent it. sir." Bainl")ridge answered 
quietly. " if you v.ill allow me to make the attempt. Are 
thcv all on Ix^anl? " 



COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. ii 

" All but two. 1 suppose they'll come ou board to- 
night drunk as the others." 

It was indeed a bad lookout. But the young officer's 
temper had risen. 

" I should like to make the attempt to put a stop to 
it, sir, if I may, during my watch." 

"Very good; then it's your watch now," answered 
the captain, a little provoked and showing it plainly. " I 
shall be below." 

" Will you tell me the names of the men as they sit 
there, sir? " 

The captain answered, speaking in a whisper, giving 
the names of the men in order. The fellow who had pro- 
posed the insolent toast answered to the sobriquet of 
" Whisky Jack," but his real name was Monson. 

No sooner had the captain disappeared than Bain- 
bridge walked forward to the mast. 

" Alonson," he called, " step aft here, my man." 

The sailor lurched unsteadily to his feet, and, followed 
by all of his companions (there were six of them), obeyed 
the order with a leer on his sodden countenance. 

" The rest of you stay forw'ard; I want to speak to this 
lad alone." 

It was rather a strange thing for a boy of eighteen 
to address a man of at least forty in these terms, but there 
was no mistaking the import of his tone. A sailor knows 
quicker than any other man when he meets his master, and 
the rest halted waiting to see what \\'hisky Jack would 
do. Bainbridge did not speak a word. With his arms 
folded he looked the approaching man full in the face. 
The latter shuffled uneasily as he attempted to reply to 
the first mate's steady gaze. The leer faded from his face, 
and slowly his fingers rose to his forehead. 

" Well sir? " he said thickly. 

" Fetch me that bottle." 



12 COMMUDURK BAINBRIDGE. 



*' What bottle, sir? " 

There was no reply for an instant. Bainbridge's face 
had a dangerous, set expression, but he repeated his 
order, if anything more quietly and calmly than before. 

" Fetch me that bottle! " 

The man turned and walked forward. 

" The young gentleman wants a drink. Bill." he said, 
as if trying to keep up appearances. " Let's let him 
have it." 

The fellow addressed as Bill grinned, and produced 
the bottle from his jacket, and Monson again walked up 
to his officer. Bainbridge extended his hand. 

" Give it me," he said. 

With a last attempt at bravado the sailor began to 
remove the cork. 

" Never mind that." and with a quick movement the 
bottle was snatched from his grasp and tossed over the 

rail. 

" Now, below, every man-jack of you! " thundered the 

first mate, stepping forward. 

It was very wonderful indeed, almost jxast believing, 
in fact, but the discomfited group had no time to parley. 
Without a question they stumbled down the forward 
hatch. 

The vessel yet lay moored alongside the wharf, ami her 
rail was lower than the stringpiece. 

■• Well done, sir! This is Mr. Bainbridge. I presume." 
exclaimed some one. and looking up. William saw that an 
elderly man dressed in a rough sailor jacket was looking 
down at him. 

" I'm Mr. Taft. second mate, sir." said the man. bend- 
ing forward and climbing down to the vessel's deck. 
"That's the way to treat those drunken rascals. I'm 
glad to see it. sir. and r«l ha\e begun it long ago myself 
if Captain Stebbins " 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 13 



" I was acting under Captain Stebbins's orders," inter- 
rupted Bainbridge, not wishing to discuss the actions of 
his commanding officer. " When will the rest of the crew 
be on board, Mr. Taft? " 

" They're coming down the wharf now," the second 
officer made reply, " drunk as fiddlers." 

And no sooner had he spoken than two more hard- 
featured individuals were seen climbing unsteadily down 
on to the forecastle. 

" Monson," said Bainbridge, turning quickly to the 
sailor who had waited at the mainmast, " tell those men 
that I wish to speak to them." 

With a look almost of admiration, Whisky Jack obeyed 
the order. 

" See here, my bullies," he exclaimed in an undertone 
to the other two. " we are not going to have such an easy 
time of it after all. There's an officer on board this ship. 
Ue wants to speak to you. Don't give him any back talk; 
won't do for a minute." 

The two sailors came aft. 

" Monson," said Bainbridge. '' search these men." 

Two more bottles of whisky went overboard. 

At this juncture Captain Stebbins came on deck. The 
first mate had given a glance at the weather vane that 
surmounted a flagstaff on top of one of the near-by build- 
ings. He rememl)ered a bit of seamanship that he had 
seen Captain Waldron successfully execute when lying 
at a wharf. A light breeze was ])lowing from just the right 
direction. It would require no warping for the Cantor 
to back out of her slip. 

" Had we not better get out into the stream and an- 
chor, sir? " Bainbridge asked, then perceiving for the first 
time that Ste1)l)ins was sulTering from the same ailment 
that afifected the crew. But his head was clear enough to 
grasp the idea that had entered Bainbridge's mind. 



14 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



" Perhaps we had," he acquiesced. 
The second mate sprang on the dock, and with the 
assistance of Monson cast off the moorings; the two 
sailors who were sober enough to have some of their wits 
still about them were sent aloft, and soon the mizzen 
topsail was laid against the mast, then with the assist- 
ance of the current the little ship gained stern way and fell 
off into the stream. Scarcely had the end of her flying 
jib boom cleared the pier head when those of the crew who 
were below in the forecastle came rushing up on deck. 

But another surprise was in store for the first officer. 
Captain Stebbins, irritated that he should have appeared 
to have lost authority, burst into a torrent of profanity. 
The men came crowding down to the waist. One of 
them detached a belaying pin from the bitts. It looked 
like mutiny, liainbridge stepped to the captain's side. 

" I understood you to say this is my watch, sir." he 
said quietly. 

Stebbins glanced at him. and without another word 
went down into the cabin. 

One of the foremast hands had constituted himself 
spokesman, lie was of ilial tyi)e so feared by officers of 
ships — a natural disturber, a born loafer and sea lawyer, 
breeder of trouble in the forecastle. 

" We're not on the high seas yet. my Bucko," he said 
defiai'itly, " and we're not to sail until to-morrcnv morn- 
ing. W'c ha\'c a right to go ashore." 

" ("an vou swim? " asked Ikiinbridge quietly. " If so, 
overboard with you, and be quick about it. Come, now, 
are you ready? " 

T]]v man looknl >>\cv the side. It was b\'bruary: the 
river was vet tilled with floating cakes of ice. 

"Too cold, eh?^" P.ainbridge went on: "well. then, 
go forward. All hands get ready to drop starboard 
anchor." 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 15 



Whisky Jack was among the first to obey, and in 
surly fashion the others followed suit. They had found 
out, as he had said, that there was " an officer on board," 
and no mistake. 

The first mate was very tired the next morning at 
daybreak when the anchor was weighed, for he had not 
closed his eyes all night, and as soon as the vessel was 
under way he sought his berth and fell into a troubled 
slumber. He could see that all the seafaring he had 
done was but child's play to the experience that was 
probably before him. In these surmisings he was correct. 

Bad weather was encountered during the first two 
weeks in the open sea, and so busy were the crew handling 
the vessel when on watch, and so wearied were they 
when below, that little time was found for grumbling. It 
had not taken William very long to perceive one reason 
at least why it had been so difficult for the Cantor to 
secure a better crew. The vessel was small, scarcely more 
than three hundred tons burden, and Captain Stebbins 
had received rather a bad name. 

It was easy to see that he was not so much of a martinet 
or a driver as a " nagger " ; although of rather a cowardly 
disposition, he was great on bluster, threats, and profanity, 
and when erood weather was met with, instead of relax- 
ing a little, owing to the hard time that had just been 
gone through with, he kept the men hard at it — first 
one thing and then another, and rating them severely 
on the slightest provocation. It almost appeared as if he 
did this to retrieve what he thought he might have lost 
by his timid 1)elia\i()r when in port. 

But at last they reached the English Channel, and 
dropped anchor in the roadstead of Rotterdam. On the 
second day of their arrival more trouble occurred. They 
had passed the customs and were going to begin the 
unloading of the vessel when an affair took place that 



i6 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

came near relieving the old ship of her rather obnoxious 
commander in a sunmiary way. 

How the men had obtained anything to drink Bain- 
bridge never found out; probably from some of the small 
boats that were rowing about, for none of the crew had 
been permitted to go ashore, the captain having landed 
in a small boat he had hailed from the (juarter-deck. He 
had returned to the ship late in the evening. Bainbridge 
had been below in his berth writing a letter in order to 
send it back by a vessel nearly ready to set sail, when 
suddenlv there came from the deck above a sound of 
scuffling feet. 

What possessed him to think of danger he did not 
know, but reaching up to the rack above his head he drew 
forth a brace of heavy pistols and hurried out. At the 
door of the cabin he ran into Monson. almost knocking 
him full length against the ladder, so great was his haste 
to gain the deck. 

"What are you doing here, you rascal"'" he cried, 
helping the man to his feet. 

Whisky Jack was very drunk. 

'* Hurry, sir," he said thickly. " I ain't no talebearer, 
but there'll be dirty work up there in a minute." 

A muffled cry for help reached the first mate's ears. 
In two bounds he was on deck. It was almost pitch dark, 
but there was light enough to see a confused struggle 
off to the port side against the rail, and in the rays from 
the anchor light he noticed Mr. Taft fighting furiously in 
the arms of two of the strongest members of the crew. 
One of them had wound his arms about the second mate's 
throat, and was almost throttling him. while the other 
was attempting to pini(Mi his arms down to his sides. 
The old man was no match for them, and it would have 
been all up in another moment if it liad not been for 
Bainbridge's opportune appearance. He grasped one of 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 17 



the heavy pistols by the barrel and brought the butt down 
upon the nearest sailor's head. At this same instant he 
caught the other by the back of his collar and gave him 
a twist that set him off his feet; the man tripped and 
disappeared backward down the hatchway. Bainbridge's 
eyes had become better accustomed to the darkness by 
this time, and he saw that another struggling group was 
centered about a prostrate figure on the deck. 

'' Don't use your knife, you fool," grunted some one 
thickly; "just heave him overboard." 

The first mate's onslaught was so sudden and so un- 
expected that even he himself afterward marveled at the 
results of it. There were five men against one, for the 
second mate had not yet recovered himself sufficiently 
to render assistance. Two of the mutineers went down 
under two separate strokes of the heavy pistol. The men 
were too drunk to do much fighting, and even at the best. 
Bainbridge would have been equal to both of them; but 
as he turned from giving the last blow his foot slipped 
and he fell forward on one knee. At this instant he saw 
standing above him one of the men with an o])cn sheath 
knife in his hand. Ouickly he raised the other pistol and 
pulled the trigger; the powder only flashed in the pan, 
and the knife descended at him viciously. But the point 
struck one of the buttons of his coat. and. being deflected, 
entered the cloth and ri])ped it open the full length. 

But help came from an unexpected quarter. Whisky 
Jack made his way on deck, and probal)ly could not have 
explained whv he had chosen the weapon that he had. 
but a heavy l)ucket can do a great deal of damage when 
swung bv a strong arm. and the blow that Jack delivered 
upon the head of the would-be assassin put him out of the 
fight. 

Mr. Taft had gathered himself together, and. armed 
with a belaying pin, laid one of the two remaining sea- 



i8 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

men on the deck with a blow that opened his head and 
nearly was the end of him. The last man, who was the 
soberest, cried for mercy. 

Captain Stebbins managed to get to his feet. He had 
l)een frightfully mauled and was trembling so he could 
hardly stand; but the mutiny was over, and in five minutes 
the three ringleaders, who were the least hurt, were below 
in irons. 

This was an end of the trouble for some time, but when 
the Cantor was ready for her return voyage Stebbins re- 
fused to sail and resigned command of her. Although 
exceedingly short-handed, Bainbridge agreed to bring her 
back to America, which he successfully accomplished, land- 
ing in Philadelphia in the latter part of June. 

But although he said nothing, the story of his manly 
conduct and his display of nautical skill on the return 
vovage reached the ears of the owners of the ship, and 
in conversation with him before he left for a short visit 
to his family in New^ York, the senior partner offered him 
command of the vessel on her next voyage if he wished 
to accept the position. 

When William returned home, he found that his 
younger brother Jose])h had also decided to take up the 
sea as a vocation, and was then absent on his first cruise 
to South America. 



CHAPTER III. 

So we find Bainbridge a full-fledged commander at the 
early age of nineteen. At his suggestion, some alterations 
were made in the Cantor's rig that improved her sailing 
qualities in a great measure, and, odd to relate, when it 
came to shipping a crew, IMonson was one of the first to 
make application; and when it came to sailing, it was 
evident that he had taken pains to turn up particularly 
clean and sober. 

Three successful cruises were made without occur- 
rences of much importance — one to Haarlem, one into the 
Mediterranean, and one south to Brazil. Upon his return 
from the last, Bainbridge spent some time ashore, and in 
the spring of 1796 he was offered the command of the ship 
Hope, a new vessel belonging to the same firm by which 
he had always been employed. And in June of this year 
we find him lying at anchor in the Garonne opposite 
Bordeaux. 

His vessel was one of the neatest in the harbor; all 
the metal shone, the decks where white and clean, and 
the paint work bright and well touched off. He had been 
most happy in securing good crews to work with him, 
and he had found out that to make a sailor contented 
he must be well fed and kept busy. 

His first ol^cer was the same Mr. Seth whom he had 
sailed with in the Ariel, and his second was a young 
Yankee, named Beebe, but a few years older than him- 
self, who hailed from Portsmouth. New Hampshire, an 
adventurous fellow and a good all-around sailorman. 

19 



20 COMMODORE BAIXBKIDGE. 

There were a number of American ships in port at the 
time, and one fine day Bainbridge called away his gig and 
rowed off to a large ship half again the size of his own. the 
Lafayette, of Boston, whose captain, Richard Samuelson. 
was an old sailor of Revolutionary fame. He was giving 
a dinner to the officers of the American vessels on this 
particular afternoon, and the talk about the table was 
mainly upon one subject, an all-engrossing one to the 
Yankee mariner — the high-handed behavior of Great 
Britain on the seas! There was not one of them who did 
not have some tale to tell of having had his vessel stopped 
and good seamen taken from him by the display of supe- 
rior force, to begin a life of slavery on board of one of the 
great floating fortresses of King George. 

" What are we going to do, gentlemen, may I ask? " 
said one of the younger captains from the foot of the 
table. " Remonstrance is worse than useless. Our repre- 
sentatives at St. James's Court can accomplish nothing. 
We have no vessels of the regular navy to enforce respect. 
We are completely at the mercy of these sea robbers — 
confusion to them! And so far as I can see there is no 
ending to it." 

'* It is the solemn truth." put in another. " I've lost 
five men in the last two voyages, and would probably 
have lost two more if my little brig couldn't leg it pretty 
well, I can tell you. They took my third mate, a man 
who went to school with me in Koxbury. Sad news did 
I have to write to his wife, and he but just married." 

" What would the luiglisli ihink." exclaimed the first 
S])t.'akcT, "if ;i slii]) of anv other nation daroil tritlc with 
their merchantmen in this fashion? There'd be a lino 
hullabaloo, wouldn't there? " 

"Oh, just another w.ar!" remarked Captain Samuelson. 
" I wish that we had a few fine live-oak frigates afloat 
with men like my old Iricntls. John Raul Jones, Nichol- 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 21 



son. Barry, aiul JJiddle, to command them. lUit no, the 
Government expects us to look out for ourselves. Bain- 
bridge here — what experience has he had with the John 



Bullies?" 



" I've been most fortunate, sir," responded Bainbridc^e, 
who was by far the youngest of the five men seated in the 
cabin; " but I think that we have been rather too submis- 
sive, perhaps; though I say it who should not, I might 
feel inclined to make a show of resistance. We might even 
persuade the country at large that it is worth while to 
take up cudgels in defense of their citizens abroad, as well 
as to fight for their interests at home." 

" Well said. Captain Bainbridge," put in Captain Steele, 
of the brig Bangor. " But the onlv trouble is that we 
would probal)ly be blown out of the water for our pains. 
It is well to have a locker full of foreign tlags at one's dis- 
posal, I find it, and to know a few words of foreign lingo." 

Bainbridge said nothing, but he had long ago made up 
his mind to one thing: He would permit no one to search 
his vessel or to rob him without a show of the strongest 
remonstrance. He was afraid that if he spoke his full 
mind upon this occasion he might be regarded as bluster- 
ing, a thing absolutely impossible to his nature, as he had 
never made a threat or a ])romise in his life that he did 
not intend at the time to carry out. 

It had been his good fortune, as already stated, to have 
escaped the numerous discomfitures that had fallen to the 
lot of most of his companions at the dinner, but he knew 
that sooner or later their experience w'ould be his. Proud 
of his country and jealous of the rights of her citi- 
zens, it rankled deeply to think that he would have to 
submit to the indignities of which he had heard the 
others tell. 

But this day was not to go by without incident of 
more importance than a dinner party. As his gig ncared 



22 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

the side of the Hope, that was lying quite a distance out 
in the harbor alongside of the vessel hailing from Charles- 
ton, South Carolina, he suddenly perceived a commotion 
on the deck of the latter — voices in loud talk, a sudden 
hoarse cry, and then a hail. 

" Ho, on board the ship there! Help! Mutiny! " 

Bainbridge had not left the deck, but at the cry he 
hastened below, and opening a chest, he drew out the two 
big pistols that had served him in such good stead on 
board the Cantor. He hastened up again and jumped into 
the gig. In three minutes he was alongside the other 
vessel, and followed by half his crew, he climbed on deck. 

Without a shot being fired or blood spilled, the rioters 
were made prisoners and placed in irons. Tlien, after 
receiving the thanks of the captain, Bainbridge rowed 
back to the Hope. 

As he was lifting the lid of the chest to stow the pis- 
tols away, the vessel lurched a little and the lid fell down 
upon his forearm, but unfortunately in such a way as to 
touch the hammer of one of the pistols, which was dis- 
charged, the flame igniting a bag of powder which lay in 
a compartment of the chest. Instantly there was an ex- 
plosion, and Pniinbridge was hurled across the cabin, badly 
wounded in his legs and the u])per portion of his body. 
The crew, who were hoistins/ the cfi"; out of the water, 
rushed down to see what had happened. A few buckets 
of water extinguished the flames, and a doctor came off 
shore at once. He pronounced luiinljridge dangerously 
hurt, but stated that he had a fair chance of recovery. 

No one could have liccn nursed more carefully than 
he was by his officers and crew, each vying with the other 
to see what he could do for the injured commander. In 
five weeks he was able to be about the deck again, and 
in such a healthy condition was he that his wounds healed 
almost immediately. In a fortnight the Hope was loaded 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 23 

with a cargo, and weighed anchor for the island of St. 
Thomas. 

The crew of the Httle ship was composed of a fine lot 
of sailormen. They were, without exception, full-blooded 
Yankees, although the cook was a black, and hailed from 
the island of Barbadoes. 

Bainbridtre had never had any trouble with them, and 
had always found them willing and eager. Very different 
indeed was his position from that he had held on board 
the Cantor when he had under him the crowd of half- 
drunken scalawags. 

Just before the sailing of the Hope an American 
vessel had come into port and dropped anchor close 
to hand. She reported that ten days previously she had 
been boarded by an English cruiser, and no less than three 
of her crew had been taken from her by main force — de- 
liberately kidnapped! Bainbridge's blood boiled when he 
heard the story, and a firm determination was formed 
in his mind to resist to the very last any attempt that the 
English might make to force such treatment upon him. 

The second day at sea he called the crew to the waist 
and made a short speech — something he had never found 
occasion to do before. 

" Men," he said quietly, " I do not intend to allow this 
vessel to be robbed, and I know that you will understand 
my meaning when I say that if any press officer boards 
us and takes one of you away he will have to take the 
rest of us also, and probably the ship into the bargain." 

With that the Hope's crew were told off into divi- 
sions and a gun captain was appointed for each one of the 
four nine-pounders. They did not make a very formidable 
array, to confess the truth, as each gun captain found 
himself in command of exactly one man, for the number 
of souls on board the Hope was but eleven — eight sea- 
men and three of^cers. 



24 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

During- tlie calm weather that followed for several 
days the ineii were worked at the L;uns. A target was 
towed out from the side of the ship, and good practice was 
made with the little broadsides. 

Xo occasion was found for their immediate use, how- 
o\ cr. and ]>ainbridge's usual good fortune seemed to fol- 
low him; but late one afternoon, off the island of St. 
John, a small schooner was seen bearing down, carrying 
all sail and evidently intending to speak the Hope. 

Bainbridge might have run for it and esca])ed, but 
the small size of the vessel made him think tliat he had 
nothing to fear from her, and he held his course. Before 
the schooner came within hailing distance he raised the 
American flag at his peak, and, calling all hands, had the 
nine-pounders loaded with as niucli powder as he thought 
they could possibly stand, and double-shotted, and for 
sood measure a handful of musket balls was added to each 
charge. Loaded muskets, two to each man, were placed 
along the bulwarks, and everything was made handy in 
ca.se resistance should become necessary, for there was 
no doubt that the schooner w^as one of the small English 
cruisers whose commanders took it ujion themselves to 
stop American ships at every o])portunity, and, trusting 
to I he prestige (jf the royal service, insist upiMi the right 
of search. 

\'ery soon the schooner had ranged alongside. She 
had not disi)laye(l her Hag, but an ofticer in a cocked hat 
;mil a brilliant uniform was seen stantling near the rail 
oil the (|uarter-deck. trumpet in hand. Although the lat- 
ter instrument was not needed, he placed it to his lip, and, 
disdaining the usual formalities, he bellowed at top voice: 

" On board the ship tliere! Heave to! I'm going to 
send a boat oil to you." 

IJainbridge stepped to the side of the Hope. He saw 
that the little schooner carried four guns of a side. Init 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 25 

they were of no heavier metal than his own. although, of 
course, they were twice the number. 

The men had all come to the port side, and the nine- 
pounders had been cast loose. Everything was in readi- 
ness. 

" I'm sorry I can't stop," Bainbridge shouted in an- 
swer to the Britisher's hail. " We are in a great hurry to- 
day." 

" Perhaps they're in some distress, Captain Bain- 
bridge," suggested Mr. Beebe. 

" They may be in a minute," suggested one of the 
gun captains who had overheard the remark, slapping 
the breech of his gun with a chuckle. 

" Heave to! " shouted the Englishman, disdaining to 
use his trumpet this time. " Heave to, or Ell lire a shot 
into you." 

" I advise you not, sir," was Bainbridge's return to 
this. 

The conversation had evidently caused some surprise 
to be felt on board the schooner, and, as the two vessels 
were now so close that evervthing could be observed 
clearly, it was noticed that the men employed in cast- 
ing the lashings ofT the small quarter boat stopped their 
work: and that very deliberately the forward gun was 
run in and loaded. As the Hope was all prepared, her 
men stood apparently inactive along the bulwarks. 

"Ready there!" said Bain])ridge quietly; "if a shot 
touches us, let them have it." 

Grimly he waited for the Englishman to take the 
initiative. 

Bang! went the first gun. The ball plashed harm- 
lessly across the bows. 

" Steady! " ordered Bainbridge. " Don't fire until she 
hits us." 

It was evident that the commander of the schooner 
3 



26 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

did not know what to make of the unexpected behavior 
of the Yankee vessel, for, instead of seeing her heave to 
with all evidences of consternation and fright, there she 
was sailing along as if nothing had occurred, with her 
commander looking over the rail with his arms folded, 
apparently unconcerned. 

The Englishman's next order was heard by every one 
of the Hope's crew as well as by those for whose ears it 
was intended. 

" Fire into her! " he roared. 

Plainly he did not think it worth while to discharge 
his broadside, for the same gun was loaded, but this 
time with the intention of doing damage. 

Bang! it went the second time. A long splinter 
whirred across the Hope's deck and the ball, deflecting, 
plunked through one side of the deck house and out the 
other, making a great crash among the " doctor's " pans 
and kettles. But before the John Bulls could see the 
result of their marksmanship the doubled-shotted gtms 
of the Hope had answered. Away went the schooner's 
gaff and the main-topmast, brought down by the after 
gun. while the forward division of one. with equal good 
fortune, shot away the flying jib boom and the fore-top- 
mast stay. 

The shoe was on the other foot now! The man at 
the schooner's helm became confused, and Bainbridge had 
to come about to avoid collision; or perhaps it was the 
I'.rili.sh captain's intention to board. So close did she 
cross the l)Ows of the Hope that the latter's jib boom 
struck her side, carrying away all her starboard shrouds 
and braces. She fell otY rapidly to leeward, and as she 
did so found time to discharge a gun of her port battery, 
the ball lodging in the Hope's mainmast. 

But P)ainbri(lge's starboard guns were double-shotted 
also, and the answer thev gave to this was almost as dis- 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 27 

astrous to the schooner as the first reply had been. One 
hall entered near the fore chains, and another, coming 
throngh the i)t>rt. disniounlcd one of the guns, killing 
or wounding three or four of the crew. The second irun 
had put two balls into the schooner's side, ripping a gash 
but a foot or so above the water line. 

So great was the confusion on board of her that Bain- 
bridge could see her crew running hither and thither as if 
they had lost their heads completely. But what was his 
surprise when he saw^ the English ensign run a short w^ay 
up on the color halyards that flapped from the wounded 
peak, and then hauled down again. 

"We've surrendered!" shrieked the English captain, 
who but a few minutes before had been so full of impor- 
tance and bravado. " Cease firing, for Heaven's sake! " 

Here was a pretty mess. Great Britain and the United 
States were ostensibly at peace. There was a strong 
party in the United States who deprecated any idea of 
resistance to the Crown, and what would be the conse- 
quences of his action Bainbridge could not foresee. 

Paying no attention to the words he had just heard, 
he raised his voice and called an answer slowly back: 

" What schooner is that? " 

" Her Majesty's schooner Linnet, commanded by Cap- 
tain Sir Philip Townes. What ship is that? " 

Before Bainbridge could reply to this the action of his 
own crew drew his attention. They had given three cheers 
when they saw the English flag come down, and now\ 
much excited, they were gathered in a body, evidently 
waiting for further orders. 

" Shall we board and take possession of her, sir? " 
asked ]\Ir. Beebe eagerly. 

"Not for the world." replied Bainbridge. "Those 
guns were put on board of us for our defense, and we 
have used them for that purpose, but we have no right 



28 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

to i)ut a foot on board that vessel. Our lives would pay 
the forfeit, and justly too. sir." 

The crew looked a little disappointed, and some were 
quite angered that they should not be allowed to take 
advantage of their victory, but Bainbridge's course was 
the only one left open, for had he dared to treat the Lin- 
net as a prize, he would have been guilty of piracy, or 
something akin to it. So seeing that the Englishman 
was yet waiting for an answer and displaying no indica- 
tion of a desire either to escape or to renew- the action, 
he called across the water to him: 

"Schooner there! Will Captain Sir Philip Townes 
pray go about his business in peace, and report to his 
masters that if they want this ship they must send a 
greater force or a more skillful commander? " 

With that he squared his yards and cleared away on 
the course for St. Thomas, leaving the English captain 
to chew the bitter cud of reflection, to his own enlighten- 
ment it is to be hoped. 

Although Bainbridge did not mention the affair ex- 
cept in a short report to the owners of the Hope, the news 
of it was soon traveling about Philadelphia within a few 
days of his arrival, and before he left to pay a visit to his 
friends in New York he had been offered the pick of the 
finest vessels then lying in the port of Philadelphia. 

The English captain had thought fit to belittle the 
aft'air more than likely, or he had failed to make a report 
of it altogether. There was no complaint made to the 
United States Government, and it is doubtful whether 
Sir Philip's masters ever received the message sent 
to them. 



CHAPTER IV. 

When Bainbridge returned to Philadelphia after his 
visit to his parents he decided not to desert the owners 
of the Hope for a more ambitious command, but to make 
at least one more voyage in the little vessel before he 
turned her over to other hands. He knew her tricks and 
her manners, and he found that the large proportion of 
the crew were anxious to ship with him once again. 

Mr. Seth had obtained a vessel of his own. Beebe 
was promoted to be first mate, and just previous to sailing, 
Bainbridge was fortunate enough to fill the latter's place 
with a young Philadelphian, Allen M'Kinsey, who, al- 
though he was but thirty-three years of age, had been 
eighteen years at sea, a tall water sailor and a good ofti- 
cer, although his lack of education had for a long time 
told against his securing a berth aft. His parents \vere 
respectable townsfolk; his father kept a small ship 
chandlery near the wharf. 

The cargo was delivered successfully at Bordeaux, and 
after a short stay, Bainbridge by a most lucky chance was 
able to load his vessel with silks and wine and set sail, 
almost retracing his former course. Everything went well 
until within three hundred miles of the American coast, 
when at sunrise a large vessel was descried to windward 
drifting leisurely down upon the Hope before the light 
morning breeze. About nine o'clock she was near enough 
for it to be seen that she was a British line-of-battle ship, 
or better a razee — that is, a three-decker cut down to a 
ship of two decks only. 

29 



30 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

On she came, a fine sight to behold, with every stitch 
of canvas set, catching the gleams of the sun, the shadows 
shifting on her sails as she rolled lazily from side to side 
on the bosom of the long, easy swell. 

When within speaking distance she hauled her wind 
a little, and without a hail dropped a boat cleverly from 
her quarter, and soon a young officer in a lieutenant's uni- 
form hailed the little Yankee ship and recjuested " some 
one there on board " to heave a line to him. As no one 
apparently replied to that title, which was certainly as in- 
definite as it was insulting, the young ofticer scrambled 
on board over the low bulwarks, assisted by no one but 
the members of his crew. 

Bainbridge was standing near the wheel with his hands 
folded in front of him, calmly waiting for the interview 
that he knew was soon forthcoming. 

" Ship's this? " questioned the Englishman, straighten- 
ing: his cocked hat. '* Is anv one in command here? " 

" I suppose you wish to inquire," responded Bam- 
bridge, " the name of this vessel. It is the American ship 
Hope from Philadelphia, and if you are looking for the 
commanding officer, sir, you have the honor of address- 
ing him." 

" Very distinguished, I am sure. Have you your 
papers handy, my young Yankee? " 

Bainbridge looked over the taffrail at the great shape 
of the battle ship, in whose shadow his own little vessel 
was then swallowed up completely. His brows knitted. 
It was odious that he had to stand and boar this insult, 
that he felt was more leveled at liis country ilian at liini. 
without doing anything to resist the imposition. 

" Just wait a moment, please," he saiil politely. And 
going to the head of the companion ladder, he called the 
steward and told liim to liring tip the large tin box that 
stood in the corner o! the cabin. 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 31 

His leisurely movements angered the lieutenant, who 
exclaimed in irritation: 

" Come, come, my man, make haste. You are 
squandering time." 

" Not altogether," Bainbridge replied. " I am giving 
you a few minutes to think, so that you may act with care 
and discretion and regain your composure." 

He looked the other squarely in the eye with his fear- 
less glance as he spoke. And, as there was no reply 
made, he extended the papers to his unwelcome visitor, 
adding only: 

" Read here for yourself. I have no one shipped with 
me who is not an American seaman; but I assure you, sir, 
that were it not for the fact that we are under the muzzles 
of yonder guns, you would not receive the satisfaction 
even of my assurance, or the pleasure of glancing over the 
paper that you now hold. There are my men; their ap- 
pearance speaks for itself." 

The boarding officer, who had been followed by five 
or six of the Ijoat's crew, commenced to read the names 
in the order of their enlistment, but everything was so 
plainly as Bainbridge had stated it that it scarcely needed 
a glance to confirm his words. The men were passed and 
everything appeared to be over with, when suddenly the 
name of M'Kinsev caug^ht the lieutenant's eve. 

" This man here — M'Kinsey — where is he? " he asked 
as if with a ray of hope. 

" He's my second of^cer," Bainbridge replied, " and 
is standing here beside me." 

" You are a Scotchman," stated the officer positively, 
glancing from the paper in his hand to the face of the 
honest seaman. 

" Any one who says that is a liar! " returned the young 
Philadelphian hotly. 

" ril make you eat that word," replied the Britisher, 



32 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

stepping forward quickly. " Here, you two," he said, 
speaking- to his own men. " lay hold of him and toss him 
into the boat. I'll break his heart for him."' 

Bainbridge quietly pushed his second mate to one side 
and, stepping between the two angry men, said quietly: 

" Patience, sir, a moment; I know this man. He was 
born in Philadelphia. 1 know his parents. He is an 
American. I state this to you upon my honor. His reply 
to you was hasty, that I admit, but he had provocation.' 

" Provocation or no provocation," was the return, 
" he'll come with me, or Fll know the reason why." 

" Just a moment," Bainbridge responded. *' May I 
ask your name and that of your vessel? " 

" I am Lieutenant Norton, of his Majesty's ship the 
Indefatigable, Sir Edward Pellew." 

" Ah, so! Then does Lieutenant Norton mean to tell 
Captain Bainbridge that he lies? " 

There was such a dangerous light in the young Ameri- 
can's eyes that for an instant Lieutenant Norton hesi- 
tated. 

" He may have deceived you," he half faltered. *' He's 
Scotch." 

"He has not deceived me. Do you intend to take him 
by force? " 

■■ Do you intend to resist? " 

" I am not so foolish; but I have no objections to his 
doing so. — Mr. M'Kinsey. in the corner of my cabin you 
will fmd two loaded pistols lying on the bunk. A sharp- 
ened cutlass hangs from the bulkhead close to hand. See 
if it is not as I say." 

Suddenly turning, the mate jumped down the ladder, 
and as all this conversation had been heard by the crew 
grouped in the waist, an audible titter ran through the 
comi)any. 

" One's as good as another," the lieutenant growled, 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 33 

trying to afifect amusement to hide his discomfiture. " I'll 
take this man instead." 

Reaching forward his hand, he seized one of the Hope's 
crew, a lad scarcely more than eighteen years of age 
but well-grown and hardy. Two of his henchmen caught 
the young fellow about the waist, and he was uncere- 
moniously tossed over the side almost on the heads of 
those sitting below on the thwarts. But the officer did 
not wish to make his own exit with any degree of haste, 
although he perceived that there was a long pull ahead 
of him before he would again reach his ship, as she had 
edged off and now lay a couple of miles distant waiting 
for him. He turned to Bainbridge as if to make some 
parting sally, but the Yankee captain spoke first: 

" Will you convey my compliments to your superior 
officer and congratulate him upon having so efficient a 
bailiff; and also inform him that for the young man you 
have robbed me of I shall take one of his Majesty's citi- 
zens serving in the first ship I meet, if her force does not 
preclude my attempting to do so. You know as well as 
I do that you have taken an American citizen to lead 
him into a life of slavery and bondage." 

" You talk well," responded the lieutenant. " but no 
Yankee merchant captain w'ould dare to impress one of 
his Majesty's subjects. A fig for your threatening, and 
good-day to you." 

With that he dropped down into the boat and pulled 
away to the battle ship. 

Five days afterward the lookout forward reported that 
there was a sail dead ahead holdins: the same course. 
Spreading all sail, Bainbridge made after her, and as the 
Hope proved to be much the faster he soon had the chase, 
a fine merchant brig, quite as large as his own little ship, 
under his lee. He raced down past her quarter, fired a 
shot across her bows, and suddcnlv hove short in front 



34 COxMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

of her in such a way that the brig, in great consternation, 
let go all standing, and. with a tremendous Ikittering and 
clattering of canvas, she swung about and heaved there 
up and down, helplessly confused. She was within easy 
hail, so Bainbridge called to her stating that he was going 
to board, and that if she attempted resistance he would 
blow her out of the water. 

"Mr. Beebe," he said, "board that brig; take nine 
men with you, and bring back a healthy John Bull — 
single and sober, and presumably industrious. Don't re- 
turn without him." 

If Mr. Beebe had not returned at all, he would have 
left the Hope in a very precarious condition, for there were 
then on board of her no one but the captain and second 
mate, and an old seaman on the forecastle! 

When Beebe came on board the Englishman he saw 
to his consternation that she was much larger and more 
heavily armed than it was at first supposed, for she carried 
eight guns, and there w^ere in the neighborhood of twenty 
seamen huddled on deck near the mainmast. For this 
reason he did not stop long to parley, but running up 
to a tall, tow-headed young fellow, he addressed the fol- 
lowing question to him, roaring the words in his ear as 
he grasped him by the shoulder: 

" Young man, are you married? " 

" No, sir," faltered the seaman, taken all aback with 
the suddenness of the (luestion. 

"Then come with me," answered Beebe; and lakiuij 
the sailor at a disadvantage, he grasped him from behind 
and hustled him across the deck through the gangway 
into the waiting boat before any one could lift a hand 
to prevent him. Tlierc was a rush made to the side, but 
the boat was almost an oar's Icngtii distant. Tn a few 
strokes T)cebe hail ])laced the ]irisonor. who was too 
frightened to resist, on board the lIoi>e. 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 35 



" Better get out of this," panted the first mate, run- 
ning aft. " She's armed Hke a man-of-war, sir." 

*' Well, not before she takes a message that I have 
been longing to send, and wouldn't lose the chance of 
sending for the gain of a few minutes." 

" On board the brig there! ^^'ill the captain make 
report that Captain William Bainbridge has taken one 
of his Majesty's subjects in retaliation for a seaman taken 
from the American ship Hope by Lieutenant Norton, of 
the Indefatigable razee, commanded by Sir Edward Pel- 
lew? " 

Then sheeting home, the Hope was off before the brig 
managed " to get out of her own way," as M'Kinsey put 
it. Before night she was hull down, for she had not at- 
tempted a pursuit. 

Bainbridge sent for the new hand. 

" Young man," he said, " I am sorry for you; but now 
let's make the best of it. You'll be paid your wages from 
now on to the end of the cruise, and will be discharged 
at Philadelphia with money in your pocket, if " — and he 
paused — " if you do your duty. Otherwise your posi- 
tion may not be quite so comfortable. Step forward." 

That was an end to it, although, of course, it did not 
make up for the hardships the poor lad had to undergo 
who was taken by Lieutenant Norton; but of this more 
hereafter. 

The seaman was paid in full, and, as some one said at 
the time, he did not appear to be at all dissatisfied with 
either the service or the country into which he had been 
forced. 

A writer of the early part of this century, in referring 
to this incident, said as follows: " The proceeding of 
Captain -Bainbridge on this occasion was doubtless as 
illegal as the act wliicli had provoked it; but to a mind 
like his, alive to the honor of his country and the rights 



36 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

of his fellow-citizens, especially of those under his im- 
mediate protection, the outrage he was compelled to wit- 
ness liy whicli a citizen of the United States was torn from 
his country and family, perhaps forever, was an apparent 
justification. Although it afforded no redress for the 
original wrong, yet it was designed to show the naval 
officers of Great Britain that the rights of American 
citizens, so far as they are committed to the protection of 
Captain Bainbridge, are not to be violated with impunity." 

It was high time indeed that something should be 
done to settle the question of the assumed ri:_;hi of search 
that was to be l)rought to a conclusion some years later 
only by open hostilities between Great Britain and this 
country, in which Bainbridge was to have a proper arena 
for the display of his judgment, coolness, and good sea- 
manship. 

Once more he found himself much talked about, and 
accepted an offer made to him to take command of a 
large ship of some six hundred tons about to sail for the 
South. 

After landing a cargo from New Orleans in an Eng- 
lish port, he took another shipload for the West Indies. 
As part of his consignment was for the island of St. Bar- 
tholomew, a mere dot on the map, just north of the 
island of St. Giu-istophcr in the Caribbean Sea, he put 
into the harbor of Le Carenage, a commodious anchorage, 
but very difficult of access owing to the tortuous chaimel 
and al)un(lanl shoals, just l)oforc lie was ready to sail 
a period of cahn weather began during which scarcely 
enough wind blew to lift a fiag, let alone to waft a big 
vessel through a difficult passage. 



CHAPTER V. 

However, this unlooked-for calm, which under most 
circumstances would have proved annoying, turned out to 
be, as Bainbridge often asserted, the most fortunate hap- 
pening of his life, and it involves a little romance well 
worth the telling. 

St. Bartholomew was not the most delightful place in 
the world for a protracted stay, although the island is rich 
and fertile and produces large quantities of tobacco, cot- 
ton, and indigo; it contains no permanent springs, and 
it is impossible for a vessel fully to replenish her water 
supply there, as the inhabitants depend almost entirely 
upon the rainfall for drinking purposes. 

At the time of which we are speaking there were 
scarcely more than twenty-five hundred white people and 
about eight thousand blacks on the island. The latter 
lived in huts scattered about the plantations, or in a little 
settlement of their own at the southern bend of the 
harbor, while the European colony was collected on the 
top of one of the sloping hills on the opposite side. The 
low white houses stood well back from the roads, sur- 
rounded by gardens of tropical luxuriance. 

One day Bainbridge was walking up the palm-shaded 
walk with Monsieur Le Vidocq, a descendant of one of 
the earlier French settlers. He looked down upon the 
harbor, where his own vessel and one or two others were 
lying at anchor, and. turning, he spoke to the gentleman 
at his side, addressing him in French, for the young cap- 

37 



38 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

tain was quite as familiar with tliat language as he was 
with his own native tongue. 

" Monsieur, 1 do not know what we will do if we do 
not get some wind very soon. Have you ever known a 
calm to last for so long a time? " 

" Well, hardly. Captain Bainbridge," replied the 
Frenchman. " That is, not within my recollection. But 
probably in the course of the next few hours we will see 
a difference with the changing of the moon." 

" Indeed, I hope so," Bainbridge replied, " or I may 
have to resort to kedging. a difticuh process amid such 
tides and currents." 

He turned again and looked at the still unruffled sur- 
face of the harbor, but just as he was about to resume 
his walk somethins^ arrested his attention, and he stood 
there without moving. It was the sound of a woman's 
voice singing to the accompaniment of a harp. 

Monsieur Le Vidocq noticed the effect of the music 
upon his companion. " Ah. monsieur," he said, " you 
are listening to the voice of the Rose of St. Bartholomew, 
]\Iiss Hyleger, the granddaughter of a distinguished Hol- 
land gentleman who has business interests here. Yes, it is 
most entrancing," he added, for Bainbridge had not 
moved. 

" Indeed vou are ris^ht, monsieur," he answered at last; 
" form and feature to accompany such a voice would be 
well-nigh perfection." 

"And so it is," replied the other. "Monsieur le 
Capitainc. I have an idea. \'on must meet her and de- 
termine for yourself if. in my enthusiasm. I have over- 
estimated the talents of this lovely person." 

" Thank you indeed, my kind friend." Bainbridge re- 
plied so earnestlv that the ()thcr cc^iild not but smile. 
" I accept \-our offer, and I i^ray you that, if it is your con- 
venience, the meeting shall be soon." 



COMMODORE BAINRRIDGE. 39 

He turned again to listen more to the low music 
when his eye happened to sweep out upon the harbor. 
A breeze had rippled the surface, and a little Swedish brig, 
lying far out, dropped all her sails as if to take advantage 
of it. For an instant duty drove all thoughts of the 
charmer from Bainbridge's mind. With a suddenness that 
existing circumstances were alone the excuse for, he apolo- 
gized to the little Frenchman and ran hot foot down the 
hill to where his boat was waiting, drawn up in the sand. 
" Off to the ship! " he shouted to the three men at the 
oars; and in ten minutes the capstan falls were clicking 
merrily as the ship crawled up to her anchor. Then, as 
he had a moment to think, a disappointment came over 
him. He was not to meet the owner of that voice after 
all, and a deep regret seized upon him, which showed 
plainly what a strong impression the sweet notes had 
made upon his heart. 

But the topsails had scarcely begun to draw when 
the breeze died away and the ship again lay entirely 
motionless upon the smooth surface. The little brig 
farther out held it but a little longer, and then dropped 
anchor with a hasty plash, as if angered at the failure 
of the elements to help her in her escape. But. although 
Bainbridge was anxious to leave the port, the dropping 
of his own " mud hook," as the sailor calls it, caused him 
no such feeling, and a boat rowed out to him early in the 
afternoon with the welcome tidings from Monsieur Le 
Vidocq that everything had been arranged, and that he 
would have an opportunity of meeting Mademoiselle 
Hyleger that evening at a dinner to be given to Captain 
Bainbridge at the kindly Frenchman's house. 

When the young officer entered the large, low-ceil- 
inged drawing-room, it took him but a glance to decide 
which one of the four ladies present was the possessor 
of the voice, for, seated on a divan in the corner of 



40 COMxMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



the room, was a tall, slender girl with a great mass of 
brown hair; her light-gray eyes looked up to him as 
the host introduced his guest, saying " the siren who so 
delightfully charmed us the other day." 

" But Captain Bainbridge, unlike Ulysses, made no 
effort to escape," put in one of the other gentlemen who 
had listened to the introduction. 

" When was it you heard me singing? " asked Miss 
Hyleger, roguishly glancing at Monsieur Le Vidocq. 

" Yesterday morning, mademoiselle." 

"Ah! then I can answer that the captain did do his 
best to escape, for shortly after practicing on the harp 
I walked out upon the veranda and was just in time to 
see him running down the hill. He put off in his boat 
and apparently did his very best to leave the harbor, in 
which he all but succeeded." 

" The unfavoring winds were kindly," put in the cap- 
tain at last, who, during this pleasantry, had been watch- 
ing the play of Miss Hyleger's features and indulging in a 
strange fluttering of the heart hitherto unknown to him. 

" A very paradoxical statement, sir," smiled the young 
lady, arising as she took his arm to go into the dining- 
room. 

Well, the long and short of it was that Bainltridge 
did not leave the island that day. or the next, or the next. 
In fact it was quite a week before the wind blew suffi- 
cientlv hard to carry him out past the headland and 
beyond the rocky reefs. 

From the wide veranda of a low white house upon the 
hillside a tall young girl in a white dress stood half lean- 
ing against one of the portico pillars. Her eyes had a 
suspicion of tears, but she did not move from her posi- 
tion until she had seen the big ship break out into a 
cloud of swelling, gleaming sails as she reached the safe 
waters outside the shoals. 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 41 



Captain Bainbridge, as he looked back at the hillside, 
realized that tiiis little island, scarcely twenty-five square 
miles in extent, contained all in the world for him, and he 
once had imagined that he saw the Hash of a signal as if 
a white kerchief was waved from the garden-shrouded 
porch of the house on the hilltop. He would return 
again, cargo or no cargo; to that he made up his mind: 
but he did not know how soon this event was sfoine to 
occur. However, to his delight, when he reached his 
destination, one of the islands of the western archipelago, 
he found a letter from the owners instructing him to pick 
up a cargo of indigo and dyestufTs, and then set sail for 
Philadelphia. 

Never was a ship unloaded so quickly, and almost 
one month to a day from the time he had left the harbor 
of Carenage his vessel, in charge of a native pilot, was a 
second time threading the narrow passage through the 
reefs. 

A small boat left the little white jetty as soon as 
Bainbridge had come to anchor. Under the sturdy strokes 
of her black crew she was at the vessel's side almost before 
Bainbridge could complete his arrangement to receive 
his visitors, for he had noticed the little boat and knew 
who the two figures were that sat in the stern sheet : one 
was his friend the Frenchman, and the other was John 
Hyleger, who had been for many years Governor of St. 
Eustatius, one of the islands belonging to the Dutch 
Government. 

Bainbridge was hard \m{ to it to hide his eagerness 
when, after the greeting, he asked concerning the health of 
the Honorable John's granddaughter, who. although he 
did not know it, had been the first to sight the ship and 
had informed her grandfather and his friend of the Ameri- 
can captain's approach. 

In three weeks everything was ready for departure, 
4 



42 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



the wind blew strong and steady, the cargo was stowed, 
and the sails were loosened ready to be dropped at the 
word; but there was some delay. On shore at the little 
church, whose windows were wide open to the flower- 
scented breeze, a ceremony was going on, and when Cap- 
tain Bainljridge, resplendent in a new blue coat witli 
silver buttons as large as half dollars, rowed off to his 
ship, a woman's slender figure sat beside him in the stern 
sheets; she turned from a half-tearful gaze at the little 
island and two figures standing on the shore, to glance 
up into her husband's face, smiling bravely and con- 
fidently. Never was such a precious cargo carried by any 
ship that sailed under any flag for any port. 



CHAPTER VI. 

Mr. and Mrs. Bainbridge were exceeding-ly de- 
lig^hted when they met their new daughter, and a visit 
to John Taylor at Middletown resulted in the old gentle- 
man's being completely captured by young Mrs. Bain- 
bridge's tact and pleasant manners. 

William Bainbridge was now in his twenty-fourth 
year. He had, as we have seen, assumed many respon- 
sibilities for so young a man, and had been through ex- 
periences and had surmounted difficulties in a way that 
would have done credit to any one many years his senior. 
But it was the old story of an old head on young shoulders, 
and people were apt to forget his youth after a few 
minutes' conversation with him, for his maimers were 
grave and dignified, and his calm, iniruffled temper never 
left him for a minute, no matter in what position he found 
himself. But his good spirits, his youth, and fearless 
nature were shown in the merry twinkle or the (|uick 
glance of his blue eye. 

It was some time before Bainbridge went to sea again, 
and this came about from various reasons. The difficulties 
with France which led to the quasi war with that country 
had now opened a new field for enterprising and chivalrous 
exertion. The Government had found it necessary to 
organize a small navy for the protection of our commerce 
from the encroachments of the French privateers, and 
movements began at the various navy yards to rehal)ilitate 
the service, which had dwindled almost into nothing since 

43 



44 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

the close of the war of the Re\olution. There were not 
sufificient officers to man the projected vessels unless the 
merchant marine was appealed to, for there were few in- 
deed who had received any instruction at all in regula- 
tion naval duties or manoeuvres. Of course a few older 
officers who had distinguished themselves in the war of 
the Revolution could be still depended upon, but judicious 
selection from among the commanders of the American 
merchant vessels became necessary. Among the first 
names inscribed on the list of the Secretary of War, 
who was then acting as Secretary of the Navy, was 
that of William Bainbridge, already his reputation for 
decision of character and bravery was widespread, and 
when Captain Decatur (whose son, Stephen Decatur, was 
so soon to distinguish himself) brought into port the 
schooner L'Incroyable, just taken as a prize from the 
French by the sloop-of-war Delaware, the command of 
her was offered to Captain Bainbridge. In a few months 
the \essel was outfitted, and under a new name, the 
Retaliation, she set sail in September. 1789. in company 
with the brig Norfolk under the comman'd of Captain 
Williams. 

The two small vessels were under orders to cruise in 
Southern waters, where they were to join the flag of 
Commodore Murray, who commanded the frigate Monte- 
zuma. The islands of the West Indies were dangerous 
sailing grounds for peaceable and unarmed merchantmen. 
Pirates teemed in the Gulf, and the French privateers, 
who fell but little short of being freebooters, rendezvoused 
at various ports and preyed rather indiscriminately upon 
all vessels weaker than themselves. 

It might be said that although no open declaration of 
war had taken place as an official act. yet France (then 
under a Rejiublican form of govenuuent) and her sister 
republic, whom siie had helped not long before, were at 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 45 

odds. Hostilities had commenced at sea, and overt acts 
were plenty. 

But no adventure of any moment was met with until 
the first week of November, although one or two small 
French vessels had been chased into the protection of the 
harbors during the month of October. Bv this time 
the crew of the Retaliation had, owing to Bainbridge's 
untiring efforts, been changed from that of a merchant 
vessel to one having all the marks of a regular service. 
Strict discipline was maintained, and strong measures had 
been necessary to enforce it. But the officers knew their 
ship and knew their men, and the latter had begun to 
respect their commander. Commodore Murray had taken 
occasion to compliment him on the wonderful improve- 
ment accomplished under his direction. 

Off the island of Guadeloupe at sunrise one bright 
morning during the first week of November, three sail 
were discovered bearing east-south-east and only about 
two leagues distant. At about the same time two other 
vessels hove in sight to the westward, upon which the 
commodore signaled Bainbridge to hold his course, while 
he in the Montezuma and Captain Williams in the Nor- 
folk bore away in chase of the strangers to the west. It 
was thought that the three sails first sighted were Brit- 
ish, so Bainbridge kept on his way and was not surprised 
when he saw the English colors go up to the peak of the 
leading frigate. Nearer they approached, but, when at 
about pistol-shot distance, down came the English flag 
and up went that of France. One of the big fellows 
fired a broadside that brought a few spars to deck and 
smashed into the bulwarks of the Retaliation, and at the 
same time another ranged alongside and ordered the com- 
mander of the schooner to lower his flag and repair on 
board immediately. 

Bainbridge was totally unprepared for making any re- 



46 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



sistance, and as the ship on his port hand carried forty- 
fuur guns, and the one on the other carried ihirty-six, 
there was nothing else to do Inn give in. Sadly he saw 
his flag come down, and calling away his boat, he rowed 
off to the larger vessel in obedience to the order. She 
was a fine craft, but at half a glance he could see that 
thine-s existed on board of her that would not be toler- 
ated on board an English or an American vessel of the 
regular service. The men appeared slovenly and the 
decks were littered about with various odds and ends, 
and untidy to a degree. As he walked u]) to the (luarter- 
deck, a handsome, middle-aged man with a great deal 
of gold lace on the wide lapels of his long-tailed coat, 
approached him. 

Bainbridge drew his sword and extended the hilt 
toward the resplendent stranger, balancing the blade 
across his forearm. 

" r^Iav I ask to whom I have the honor of surrender- 



mg? 



"To Commodore St. Lawrence, of the navy of the 
French Republic. But as you had no opportunity to de- 
fend yourself. I beg you. sir. pray retain your sword." 

Very politely he then asked the name of Bainbridge's 
vessel, and, learning of her former career, made some remark 
that might be translated into " turn about is fair play." 

The X'olontier. the flagship, remained hove to while 
she placed a prize crew on board the unfortunate Re- 
taliation, but the other vessels, the larger of which 
Bainbridge learned wa^ named 1/ Insurgent, accom- 
panied by a little sloop, were making off after the Nor- 
folk and the Montezuma, who had run out of their wind 
and whose chase had escaped them. Their capture ap- 
peared inevit;ible. and as the \'(»lontier was a mile or so 
behind them, it ajii^eared that she would be too late to 
take a hand in the action if there was to be one. 





On tlie ilcck nf tlie Volontier. 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 47 

Bainbridge had joined the group of officers that had 
made their way forward to the forecastle, and with feel- 
ings of great distress he watched the two vessels ahead 
near the American ships, which had little chance of escape 
left them. Suddenly the h^rench commodore turned to 
him. 

'■ Monsieur," he said, " what is the size and armament 
of your two consorts yonder? " 

Without hesitation Bainbridge made reply: 

" The ship, sir, mounts twenty-eight long twelve- 
pounders and the brig twenty nine-pounders." 

And if he breathed an inward prayer for thus doubling 
his friends' armaments, he must have smiled also to see 
the result of his ruse de guerre, for Commodore St. Law- 
rence, with a great deal of excitement in his manner and 
gestures, hustled his officers to right and left, loudly 
calling upon them to signal L'Insurgent and the smaller 
vessel to return. 

Soon it was seen that the former had perceived her 
recall, for she came about and waited until the Volontier 
bore down within speaking distance. In the mean time 
the Norfolk and the Montezuma, having caught a new 
slant of wind, were making off, carrying all sail and grow- 
ing smaller and smaller every minute of the time. 

An amusing conversation now took place between 
the flagship and smaller frigate. 

Captain Barro, the commander of the latter vessel, al- 
most jumped up and down in his anger as he demanded 
the reason for his being called off just as he was about 
to capture both vessels; and upon the commodore stat- 
ing that they were of " superior force," he went on to 
state, shrieking his words over the taffrail. for the two 
ships were now near together: 

" I could have taken them both — both, monsieur. 
There was not a gun on board either heavier than a six- 



48 COMMODORE BAINBIIIDGE. 

pounder." He hammered angrily upon the rail with his 
heavy cocked hat, almost weeping in his wrath and irrita- 
tion. 

The commodore, who had spoken hitherto in fairly 
good English, turned to Bainbridge, who was standing 
by, with difficulty repressing the smile that would rise 
to his lip. 

" Did you not say. sir. that the force of these vessels 
was such as I have stated? " 

" I did,'' responded Bainbridge sternly; " but if I could 
save two ships of my Government simply by misrepresent- 
ing their strength, I think I was justified in doing so. 
The circumstances warranted my hazarding the asser- 
tion, sir." 

Perhaps St. Lawrence recognized the logic and made 
allowance for the temptation, for he said no more, and 
that evening requested Captain Bainbridge's presence 
at his table, as if nothing had occurred. During the 
course of his stay on board the Volontier he treated him 
with the greatest kindness and consideration, and pre- 
sented him to General Desfourneaux. who was being sent 
out from France to Guadeloupe to supersede the famous 
Governor, Victor Hughes. 

The day after the capture, the three vessels of war and 
their prize anchored in the harbor about six miles from 
Basse-Terre. the capital of the island, and the next morn- 
ing all were landed. 

The officers and crew of the Retaliation were ordered 
into close confinement in a loathsome prison; but, owing 
to the solicitation of his friend the commodore. Bainbridge 
and the commissioned officers were afterward brought ofT 
shore and allowed to remain on board the frigate, where 
they were given full liberty and treated with kindness. 

On the tenth day Bainbridge was permitted to visit 
the shore on his parole of honor, for the purpose of arrang- 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 49 

ing with General Desfourneaux. with whom he had had 
but a few words on shipboard, an exchange of prisoners, in 
accordance with instructions transmitted to him by Com- 
modore Murray, who had sent a letter in to him by a 
Danish brig. 

It was just at this time that the French people had 
begun that system of the alTectation of extreme equality. 
Ceremony was dispensed with and a strange attitude of 
comradeship, simplicity, and make-beheve frankness took 
its place. 

Dressed in a quiet suit of citizen's clothing. Bain- 
bridge awaited an audience with General Desfourneaux. 
In a few minutes he was admitted, and at once was asked 
to seat himself at table with Ic general, as the latter was 
about to take his luncheon. With the assertion that " sea 
fare did not agree with him," the general requested the 
vouns: American to ioin him in the meal of a " blunt old 
soldier," and invited him to speak openly and frankly, as 
two citizens " would talk over their wdne." The remark- 
able interview that followed is well worth a chapter to 
itself. But it did not take the young lieutenant (for that 
was but his actual rating in the service) long to deter- 
mine that he was dealing with a wily old diplomat used 
to intrigue, and able to blow hot and cold with the same 
breath, despite his air of sincerity and bo)ihoinic. 

It would pay him well to be upon his guard. 



CHAPTER VII. 

" Now, captain," commenced the hoary old villain. 

" Lieutenant, sir." ])nt in Bainbridge, anxious to ap- 
pear on even terms at the outset. 

The general did not notice the interruption, except 
that he corrected himself in the next sentence, continu- 
ing: 

" I do not wish you to consider yourself as a prisoner, 
lieutenant, or I do not desire that your comrades shall be 
treated as such. I pray you look upon your stopping 
here as if you were visitors detained merely from political 
motives. We intend to treat you as both friends and 
allies, I assure you." 

In view of the fact that his crew were now lingering 
in a dungeon, this assertion appeared to be something 
remarkable, but it did not trouble the " blunt old soldier " 
in the slightest degree. 

" Of course, it may seem strange, but I have long 
thought how great an advantage would accrue from the 
establishment of commercial relations between this beau- 
tiful island and your great countr\- of the United States." 

Bainbridge remained silent, waiting to hear what all 
this would lead uj) to. for he did not doubt that there was 
much more behind it. 

" If you would but consider yourself the representative 

of your nation — which you are. for there are no others that 

rank you on the island — we could accomplish a great deal 

to the mutual advantage of countries," went on Des- 

50 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 51 

foiirneaux, who had lost all interest in his soldier's fare. 
" I promise that I will liberate your men and officers, and 
restore your ship to you, if you will agree to consider, as 
the representative of your country, of course, the island of 
Guadeloupe as neutral during the passage cfafincs be- 
tween the French Republic and the United States." 

Bainbridge saw the pit into which the other would 
draw him. and he replied calmly, after a moment's 
thought, choosing his words in order that he might not 
be misunderstood. 

" You must know, general," he said, " that my au- 
thority extends no farther than to enter into an arrange- 
ment for an exchange of prisoners. If I took upon myself 
to enter into such negotiations as you mention, and they 
were disclaimed, you would place the United States in 
the position of an aggressor, which probably would please 
you. And whatever may be your views in regard to the 
condition of my men — I speak not for myself — I consider 
the crew of the Retaliation as not only being held in cap- 
tivity, but as being treated with great barbarity." 

The general then adopted a confidential tone in his 
reply: " I admit that it appears so, yes," he said; "but 
you see Monsieur Hughes has not yet left the island. I 
can not revoke his orders until his departure. This, allow 
me to say, is the explanation." 

"General Desfourneaux," returned Bainbridge, " while 
your proposition seems very liberal, I can not see my way 
clear to assume this responsibility; but if you wish to 
make a cartel of my vessel, I will vouch that my country 
will exchange prisoners, man for man." 

" I intend to include," put in the wily Governor, as if 
offering special inducements, " all of the political hostages 
now on the island." 

Bainbridge. however, was not to be entrapped, and the 
curious interview was terminated without the Frenchman 



52 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 



securing- the upper hand. The " political hostages " were 
confined in a dungeon much too small for them. They 
were almost naked and in a state of starvation. Many 
of them were masters of vessels, and the jailer had proved 
himself to be a drunken, unfeeling brute. The news had 
been circulated among them that they were about to 
secure their liberty, and great rejoicing was the result; 
but they were doomed to sore disappointment. Their 
condition grew worse and worse, as if the new Governor 
had determined to wreak vengeance upon them. 

Bainbridije had received assurances from Desfour- 
neaux that they would be placed in better prisons, and at 
least treated as if they were human beings, but these 
promises came to naught, and the young officer found 
himself powerless to assist his unfortunate countrymen, 
although he boldly remonstrated against conduct so 
averse to the modern usages of war. Nothing but the 
fact that he had gained some powerful friends through 
his own personality prevented the Governor from placing 
him in close confinement. 

About the last of December the Pohsea. frigate, from 
Point Petre, arrived at Guadeloupe, and on board of her 
were twenty or thirty Americans who had been captured 
by French privateers. Tn consequence of the diminution 
of the French force, as alleged by the captain of the 
frigate, these men had been compelled to do duty as part 
of the crew. Hearing of this occurrence, Bainbridge 
waited upon Desfourneaux, and alleged that as these men 
were prisoners of war they should not 1k^ kept in confine- 
ment where thcv iiiiglit be compelled at any time to take 
up arms against their countrymen. 1 le added that if they 
were neutrals, as the Governor had intimated in a previous 
conversation, there could be no excuse for their deten- 
tion on board a public ship. 

The Governor gave prompt assurance that the prison- 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 53 

ers would be landed, as the vessel, he acknowledged, was 
within his jurisdiction. lUit the next day Bainbridge, 
to his anger and indignation, saw the Ponsea sailing for 
France without one of the Americans being released 
from their bondage. Angry at being thus trilled with, he 
again sought an interview, and a heated discussion 
followed, which ended in the Governor's renewing his 
offer to liberate all citizens of the United States, pro- 
vided that Bainbridge would assume the responsibility he 
had hitherto refused. He also insisted that Bainbridge 
should use his best influence to open trade with Guade- 
loupe, although he knew what a nest of pirates the harbor 
was. 

An extract from Bainbridge's letter, which he wrote a 
few davs later, is of interest: 



" To His Excellency, the Governor of Guadeloupe. 

" Sir: As you are well aware that the prisons of 
Basse-Terre are crowded with my fellow-citizens, many of 
whom have l)een brought into port since my arrival, and 
as I know from my own observation that American mer- 
chant vessels have been here condemned as lawful prizes, 
your Excellency will excuse me if I express doubt of your 
good will toward either the Government or the citizens of 
the United States. You offer to restore the Retaliation to 
mv command. I can not accept unless I am permitted to 
follow the instructions of my Government, viz.. to cap- 
ture all armed vessels sailing under the flag of the French 
Republic. The Retaliation is n(nv a French prize, being 
captured bv two of your national frigates. I can not 
take command of a vessel belonging to an enemy and give 
a pledge to be governed by an enemy's orders without 
disgracing myself as an ofBcer and rendering myself liable 
to deserved punishment by a court martial. If I return 



54 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

in the Retaliation, she must be a cartel and commanded 
by a French officer. 

" I have the honor to be yours, etc., 

" \V. Bainbridge." 

The Governor was thrown into a frightful rage at this 
refusal to accept his proposition. He sent for the lieu- 
tenant and informed him of his intention to place him in 
close imprisonment, to which Bainbridge replied that no 
fear of punishment could induce him to abandon the 
principles which would always govern him as an officer of 
the American navy. 

At last, wishing to conciliate the United States, even 
if he could obtain no pledge in advance, Desfourneaux 
fitted out a cartel, under the command of a French cap- 
tain, and sent her with the Retaliation to the United 
States, the returned prisoners amounting to nearly three 
hundred. 

In a final interview with Bainbridge he declared that 
he had resolved to compel the immediate departure of the 
Retaliation, and in the event of anv act of hostilitv beine 
committed previous to her arrival in the United States, 
he would put to death every American prisoner who 
might be hereafter captured or brought to the island. 
The cartel bore prepared dispatches to the President of 
the United States, in which General Desfourneaux made 
assurances of the neutral position of the island, and 
pointed to his release of the prisoners as a pledge of his 
sincerity. What he really feared was a blockade of his 
ports! 

Bainbridge's conduct was highly approved of by the 
Government upon investigation, and he was immediatelv 
promoted to the rank of master and commander, and or- 
dered to take charge of the brig-of-war Norfolk (the ves- 
sel he had saved), then lying in the Delaware River. He 



COMxMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 55 

was given directions to fit her for active service as quickly 
as possible. 

As soon as the brig was ready to proceed to sea, her 
commander was ordered to report to Commodore Trux- 
ton, then sailing with the frigate Constellation in the 
West Indies. He cruised among the Windward Islands, 
and took under his charge successfully several convoys of 
American merchantmen, among which was one fleet of 
one hundred and nineteen sail, bound to different ports 
of the United States. 

Returning from this arduous service to New York in 
the month of August, Bainbridge learned to his great 
mortification that while absent there had been five lieu- 
tenants promoted over him to the rank of captain. He 
remonstrated in vain against this act of injustice, but re- 
ceived no reparation, except an assurance that it would 
not occur again. Nothing but his pride and attachment 
to the service, and the earnest solicitation of his friends, 
prevented his pursuing a course which would have de- 
prived the navy of an efificient and capable officer. 

Again he set sail on a cruise to the West Indies, where 
he captured a number of piratical craft, and landed on the 
island of Hispaniola, and on the 8th of November, off Cape 
Nicola Mole, he took the French armed vessel Republican 
and a prize that she had just taken. 

On the 14th of November the young commander 
found himself at the head of a small squadron consisting 
of his own vessel the Norfolk, the brig W'arren. and the 
sloop Pinckney, each carrying eighteen guns. With this 
small force he blockaded the harbor of Havana to prevent 
the escape of a large French privateer, and he did this so 
effectually that the latter vessel was dismantled, and ample 
protection was afforded to American merchant vessels 
cruising in Cuban waters. 

Up to the time of Bainbridge's assuming command of 



56 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

this station the French cruisers had preyed on the com- 
merce of the United States to a vast and ruinous ex- 
tent. But so untiring was his vigilance and exertion 
that for six months, during the most inclement and 
, boisterous season of the year, his little squadron kept 
continually at sea, with the exception of ten days, when 
he was obliged to go into port for water and provis- 
ions. 

The American merchants of Havana, upon his de- 
parture for the United States, presented him with the fol- 
lowing letter, dated March i, 1800: 

" Having witnessed the ample protection which 
you have extended to American commerce trading to 
this island, it would be doing injustice to our feelings 
were we to suppress our acknowledgments of the 
vigilance, perseverance, and urbanity which have marked 
your conduct during your arduous command on this 
station. 

*' It must afford peculiar pleasure to the citizens of the 
United States to know that a trade which was so re- 
cently exposed to frequent depredations now passes in 
almost certain security; and we doubt not that they, 
with us, will do you the justice to acknowledge the essen- 
tial services which you have rendered your country." 

' Sailing from Havana in ]\Iarch, Bainbridge arrived 
in Philadelphia early in April. lie immediately ])ro- 
ceeded home and found all his family well and anxiously 
awaitino- him. To the delight of all his friends, and to 
his own satisfaction, he heard that his conduct had been 
viewed favorably l)y the 1^-esident, and that he had been 
promoted to the rank of captain, his commission dating 
from the ist of May, 1800. Only a few days later he was 
ordered to the command of the frigate George Washing- 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 57 

ton, a fine vessel, and one of the largest in our navy. But 
his first orders were not calculated to give him much of 
either pride or pleasure in their execution; and this will 
be told about in the chapter that is to follow. It exposes 
truly a strange condition of affairs. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

John Taylor was seated in an armchair in the warm 
spring sunshine, and beside him sat the wife of his favorite 
grandson. Her head was leaning against the old gentle- 
man's knee, and one of her hands was clasped in both 
of his. 

" Indeed, my dear, it is hard to have him leave us again 
so soon; but I can tell you that it is an honor, of course, 
that he should accept the command of such a tine vessel; 
perhaps he may not be sent on the foreign service for 
some time, and we may have him here much longer with 
us. Hullo! who's coming up the road? " he added, break- 
ing off suddenly and raising one hand to shade his eye. 

" Some one on horseback." answered Mrs. Bainbridge. 
rising to her feet. 

A man on a strong brown horse reined in at the 
steps and, leaping from the saddle, left the nag to nibble 
at the short spring turf. 

" Dispatches for Captain Bainbridge, sir," he said, 
saluting. 

*' I'll bring them to him." said Mrs. Bainbridge. ex- 
tending her hand. P.ut she was saved the trouble, for 
just then the figure of Bainbridge himself apj^eared in the 
doorway. He took the package, and his handsome face 
clouded a little as he (il)scr\e(l his wife's troubled look. 

" Sailing orders. William? " she asked, her underlip 
trembling suspiciously. 

"Yes, dear, I fear so." 

58 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDOE. 



59 



Without brcakiiif^ the seal he tiinicd and went into 
the house. Mrs. Bainbridge again sHpped her hand into 
old John Taylor's outstretched palm. A tear that she 
endeavored to hide stole down her check, but the old man 
had noticed it. 

" A sailor's wife " he began. 

" Should be brave, I know," concluded his grand- 
daughter, anticipating his remark; "but sometimes it does 
seem hard, I must confess." 

A silence followed that was broken by the footsteps 
of Captain Bainbridge approaching down the hallway. It 
was evident that he was suffering from some irritation. 

" Well, William." asked his grandfather, " what's the 
news? Welcome, I hope." 

" Quite the reverse, sir," replied the captain. " I am 
ordered to take that infamous tribute to Alo-iers! A 
pretty commission for a gentleman and an officer to exe- 
cute! " 

" It is a disgrace to the country." exclaimed Grand- 
father Taylor, thumping down both fists on the arms of 
his chair. 

" There is one kind of tribute I would like to give 
them," continued William. " and that is from the mouth 
of my guns. The idea that we, a Christian nation, and 
bound to be one of the most powerful, should permit 
such a scandal as buying imnuniity from a lot of Barbary 
pirates is almost as bad as submitting to the English 
right of search." 

" If anything, it's worse," ])ut in Mr. Taylor. " Think 
of the contempt that they must hold us in! ' Dogs of 
Christians ' they call us." 

" \\>11. there are others in the same position." Cap- 
tain Bainbridge answered, sitting down on the lower step 
beside his wife. " Almost all of Europe pays tribute in 
one wav or another." 



6o COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 



" Except England." suggested Mr. Taylor. 

''Ay, there's the rub!" was the answer. "It is my 
opinion that she supports these brigands and buccaneers 
in order to gain the supreme control of the commercial 
Mediterranean. Proof is not lacking to show that in this 
I am correct. They could suppress every pirate from 
Gibraltar to the Bosphorus in three months, but they 
would not have it otherwise than as it is." 

In common with many of the officers and a large pro- 
portion of American citizens, Bainbridge held strong 
prejudices against Great Britain, and bewailed her in- 
fluence. But, odd to relate, his grandfather, during the 
war of the Revolution, had been an opponent of rebellion, 
and his own father, Absalom Bainbridge, had been an 
out-and-out Tory and had moved to New York during 
the war in order that his children should be among the 
adherents of the Crown, who held the city. Nevertheless 
all of the younger generation had grown up stout patriots, 
and it had not taken the honest doctor very long to 
change his opinions, although he would never discuss the 
question under any provocation. 

It is easy to see how a mission like the delivering of 
the tribute money to Algiers should gall so high-spirited 
a nature as was Bainbridge's; but duty was paramount, 
orders were to be obeyed, and as soon as the George 
Washington was in readiness and all arrangements had 
been completed he bade farewell to his wife and family 
and set sail. 

He arrived at Algiers with the annual tribute, amount- 
ing to some tweniN tliousand dollars, which he placed 
in llio hands of the rnilod States consul, declining to 
assist in any ceremony of presentation to the Dey. 

The George Washington was the strongest American 
frifrate that the Algerines had ever seen, and in fact was 
one of the largest ships that ever dropped anchor in the 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



6i 



harbor. She lay close in under the guns of two powerful 
batteries, and the wily Dey, a little angered, perhaps, at the 
short way in which the tribute had been paid to him, 
viewed the tall spars and tinely modeled hull with envy 




Algiers. 

not unminerled with ire, and a brilliant idea entered his 
head. Why not humble this distant nation still more, and 
make use of the fine craft yonder as it it were his own? 
Acting upon this inspiration, he sent at once for the Ameri- 
can consul, ]\Ir. Richard O'Brien, a sagacious and intelli- 
gent man, who had been at a former period a prisoner 
in this very country. 

After the audience with the regent, the consul left 
the palace and hastened to the shore, where he was for- 
tunate enough to find a cutter of the George Washington 
waiting at the dock. Explaining to the cockswain the 



62 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

urgency of his desire to see Captain Bainbridge, he was 
placed on board at once. 

Bainbridge received him in the cabin. Consul O'Brien 
was evidently in some distress of mind, so Bainbridge 
treated him cordially, asked him to sit down, at the same 
time dismissing a number of officers who were loitering 
at the table, for dinner was just over. 

" Well, sir," he said, " what is amiss? What can I do 
for you? " 

" I do not know what is to be done," responded the 
consul. " but 1 nmst speak quickly and to the point, even 
if 1 have to indulge in a short preamble. You know, Cap- 
tain Bainbridge. that all the Barbary States are under 
the direct control and obey the commands of the Grand 
Seignior at Constantinople. They are practically hire- 
lings and dependents upon the Turk and the Ottoman 
power. The present Dey — confound him! — has got him- 
self into a mess with the Porte because he has concluded 
a treaty of peace with France just at this time when Tur- 
key, and England, her all\-. are carrying on the war in 
Egypt against the young General Bonaparte. There is 
the situation in a nutshell. Xow it has entered his un- 
scrupulous old head — bad luck to him! — that it would be a 
fine thing indeed to appease the heathen Turk by sending 
to him presents of money and various things that the 
old villain has stolen, and to have them accompanied by 
a special ambassador to Constantinople." 

" Well, I can see no objection." returned Bainbridge. 

" Yes; but, man dear — excuse me. Captain — he wants 
to send them in your ship — in the George Washington, 
that bears the flag of the Ignited States, bv all the 
powers! " 

Bainbridge threw back his head antl laughed heartily. 

" Do you suppose for one minute that I intend to allow 
him to carry out his intentions? " he asked. 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 63 

" But, my dear Captain, make note of this: he is a 
murdering old divil that will stop at nothing. Can't you 
sail out this very instant? " 

" Not without some wind to sail with," responded 
Bainbridge, looking out of one of the after ports. " Can't 
you secure an audience for me with the regent? I should 
like to politely express my opinions to him." 

" You will find that he is hard to change in his de- 
terminations," replied Mr. O'Brien. " Could you warp 
the vessel to the mouth of the harbor? " 

" It would be a hard job," Bainbridge answered. " But 
for that matter, if they wanted to prevent my leaving, they 
could dismantle me before I had sailed a cable's length. 
Just look up there." 

Over two hundred pieces of ordnance of heavy weight 
frowned down upon the frigate, and from innumerable 
loopholes in the castle a fire of musketry could have swept 
her decks and tops. 

Near the entrance to the harbor two crescent-shaped 
batteries stood close to the water's edge, and at the inner 
bend of the anchorage another small fort looked out over 
the roadstead. 

But the next morning Bainbridge found that Mr. 
O'Brien had been successful, and that the Dey w^ould 
grant him an audience soon after his morning meal, which 
took place at noonday. 

The captain found the Algerine potentate sitting 
cross-legged on a luxurious divan, being fanned by 
two large slaves, while his ministers sat at some dis- 
tance about the walls. No chairs were provided, and 
during the interview, that was carried on by the aid 
of an interpreter. Bainbridge stood, and he stood very 
erect too, with folded arms, and indulged in none of 
the genuflections that characterize court etiquette in 
Alrreria. 



64 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

" Has the consul expressed my desires to the Ameri- 
can captain? " was the first question the Dey asked. 

** He has, and the American captain regrets that he 
can not comply with the distinguished request, as it would 
be contrary to the orders of his Government received 
before leaving home." 

" That is all right on the other side of the water," the 
Dey responded, " but here my wishes are of more im- 
portance." 

" That I deny," returned Bainbridge through the in- 
terpreter. 

The Dey did not allow it to be seen how these words 
nettled him, but the retort that he made showed the posi- 
tion he intended to take in the matter. 

" For what your country says." he sneered. " I care no 
more than for a handful of dried dates. You are in my 
power. It makes no matter to me whether you declare 
war or not. It would only make me richer and more 
powerful: but tliis niucli nui>t be understood: either ytni 
take my ambassador and my presents to Constantinople 
or you sink where you are. And in three weeks my harbor 
shall be filled with American shipping. I have said." 

At this moment O'l'ricn s])oke up. He endeavored 
to explain the position in which Captain Bainbridge was 
placed. He informed the Dey that such procedure was 
contrary to all national law. and he said that the whole 
of Europe would re\'olt at such an arl)itrary mode of 
procedure. But nothing moved the obstinate old Mussul- 
man, and when Mr. O'Brien li;ul tinished speaking he 
intimated that the audience was at an end. 

Once out in the open air. O'Brien expressed his feel- 
ings in no measured terms. F)ainbri(lge was too angry 
to speak, but he was going over everything calmly and 
dispassionateh' in his mind, lie knew that the Dey would 
make good his threats, and he thought of the unprotected 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 65 

commerce thai would be at the mercy of the ruthless 
barbarian if the Algerines were turned loose to seek their 
prey. 

" It is a good deal like having a man put a pistol to 
your head and order you to dance," remarked the consul. 

" Yes, somewhat similar," Bainbridge returned. 
" What would you do in such a case? " 

" By the saints, 1 suppose I'd foot it." answered the 
little Irish-American with a shrug of his shoulders. 
'* Couldn't you slip your cable and get out under cover 
of darkness? I'd rather have a cargo of monkeys than a 
shipload of those heathen Turks for companions." 

Bainbridue called a council of his officers that night 
in the cabin. It was impossible to slip out of the harbor, 
and the next morning he wrote the following letter, which 
he placed on board a small vessel bound for Spain, with 
instructions to put it on board the first home-bound 
American ship that might be met with. The epistle was 
addressed to the home Government, and, after the in- 
troductory form, it read as follows: 

*' The Dey of Algiers, soon after my arrival, made a 
demand that the United States ship George Washington 
should carry an ambassador to Constantinople, with pres- 
ents to the amount of five or six hundred thousand dollars, 
and upward of two hundred Turkish passengers. Every 
effort was made by nic to evade this demand, but it 
availed nothing. The light in which the chief of this 
regency looks upon the people of the United States may 
be inferred from his style of expression. Tie remarked to 
me: 'You pay me tribute. l)y which you become my slaves; 
I have therefore a right to order you as I may think 
proper.' 

■■ The un])leasant situation in which 1 am i)laced must 
convince you that I have no alternative left but compli- 



66 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

ance, or a renewal of hostilities against our commerce. 
The loss of the frigate and the fear of slavery for myself and 
crew were the least circumstance to be apprehended; but 
I knew our valuable commerce in these seas would fall 
a sacrifice to the corsairs of this power, as we have here 
no cruisers to protect it. Inclosed is the correspondence 
between Richard O'Brien, consul general, and myself on 
the subject of the embassy, bx' which you will see that 
I had no choice in acting, but was governed by the tyrant 
in whose power I had fallen. 

" I h()j)e I may never again be sent to Algiers with 
tribute, unless 1 am authorized to deliver it from the 
mouth of our cannon. I trust that my conduct will be 
approved of by the President, for, with every desire to 
act rightly, it has caused me many unpleasant moments." 

.A. strange assortment of presents they were, and only 
such as one barbaric power could send to another, and 
especially if that power had at some time had free access 
to the contents of various vessels of all nations. Silks 
and satins from French looms, cloth and handsome em- 
broideries, ])late and chinaware frc^m various places, three 
handsome Arabian steeds, and two tame lion cubs were 
stored on board, and the retinue of the aniI)assador, num- 
bering some two hundred Mohammedans, thronged the 
decks. 

r>ainbri(lge. having been fiirced to submit to this in- 
dignitv, made u\) his mind to do it as gracefully as he 
could; l)Ut a crowning alTront was to be offered him be- 
fore he cleared the uidulh of tlie liarbor. An Algerine 
rowboat. manned by twenty oarsmen, came alongside the 
vessel with orders from the Dev that the George \\'ash- 
ington sliould proceed It) L ()nstantino])le tbing the llag 
of Algiers! ( )ne was handed up to him for the pur]")Ose. 
Bainbridge called awa\ his gig at t)nce and, thoroughly 



COMMODORE RAINBRIDGE. 67 



angry, rowed ashore, and made his way to the palace. 
The bey would not see him, but he carried on a conversa- 
tion with him through one of his head men. 

The American captain remonstrated in vain, and was 
forced at last to row back to the ship and hoist the hated 
flag at his peak while he t^ew the Stars and Stripes at his 
main and fore. Once outside of the harbor and beyond 
range of the guns that the Dey could bring to bear upon 
him. down came the green and yellow rag. The flag of 
the United States arose in its place, and. in some way that 
has never been accounted for, the Algerine emblem was 
lost overboard. 

It was the nineteenth day of October in the year 1800 
when the George Washington set sail from Algiers. Head 
winds and bad weather were encountered from the out- 
set, and the crowded condition of the ship made every 
one uncomfortable. 

The Mussulman is compelled by his religion to pray fre- 
quently at various stated intervals during the day, and a 
sine qua iioii is that he should face toward Mecca — in this 
instance toward the east. Tt was a remarkable sight to see 
the ambassador and his suite prostrating themselves upon 
the deck, and then, as the ship swung off upon another 
tack, rushing to the binnacle to be sure that their prayers 
were directed properly. With the sailors hauling and 
bawling about them, and not anv too careful how they 
stepped among the worshiping Turks, it must have been 
a remarkable sight. In fact, it was very hard to manage 
the Algerines without resorting to severe measures, which 
would have been hardly proper under the circumstances, 
as they were supposed to be distinguished guests. 

After fifty-nine days of severe tossing, the entrance 
to the Dardanelles was sighted, with the two large forts 
guarding the highway to Constantinople. Bainbridge 
took on board a pilot when some distance from the en- 



68 



COMMODORE RAIXP.RIDGE. 



trance, and as they approached the narrow gateway the 
officer of the deck was told that it was ahvavs necessary 
for foreign ships to come to anchor under the guns of the 
great fortress to the east and await there the permis- 
sion or tirman from the Grand Seignior. Immediately 
Bainbridge was informed, and the prospect of having to 




The Dardanelles. 



remain detained any longer than was absolutely neces- 
sary was most distressing to him. So stratagem was 
determined upon to enable the George Washington to 
overcome this obstacle. 

The guns of the forward battery were loaded with a 
double saluting charge, and the frigate, under the favor- 
ing wind, swept up the narrow channel, clewing up her 
topsails and hauling down the jib as if it was her inten- 
tion to anchor. It was a warm, hazy day: the ram])arts 
of the fort were seen to be lined with soldiers watcliing 
the frigate as she approached. When about midway in 
the passage, Bainbridge began to fire a salute of twenty- 
one guns, which he did as rapidly as they could be loaded 
and primed. At once both forts began to answer. The 



COMMODORE BAINRRIDGE. 69 



air clouded up with tlic wliile. opaque smoke, and when 
it cleared away the Turks must have l)een astonished 
to perceive the vessel they supposed they would find 
anchored near to them a full mile or more up the straits, 
bowling along with studding sails and royals set and 
drawing. 

In the course of a few hours the George Washington 
dropped her anchor in the harbor of Constantinople, the 
tirst vessel in the history of man to have reached that 
place without first securing the permission of the Sultan. 
The frigate lay in the lower part of the harbor. It was 
the 9th of November, and late in the afternoon. The many 
minarets and slender spires and domes of the city gleamed 
in the sun. The gray castle and the fortifications that 
lined the water's edge were crowded, as the forts had been 
below, with troops of curious soldiery and citizens. Pres- 
ently from the castle a boat put out, the rowers of which 
pulled long oars whose handles were weighted at the 
end, and they made her dance through the water at a 
lively pace. 

A man with a large turban on his head sat in the stern 
sheets, and seeing that it was his intention to board, the 
ladder was hastily dropped, and in another instant he 
stood at the gangway. 

" What vessel is this? " he asked, speaking very good 
French. 

" The George Washington from the United States," 
Bainbridge replied, lifting his hat. 

To every one's surprise, this answer was sufficient, for, 
without coming down upon the deck, the visitor hastened 
down to the boat, and at the same racing pace rowed 
back to the castle. 

Before the sailors had finished rigging the starboard 
gangway he had again returned, and having boarded, he 
approached Captain Bainbridge and made a low obeisance. 



COMMODORE liAIXP.RinGE. 



" The Turkish Government sends greetings," he said. 
" But no one has ever heard here of such a Government 
as the United States. Will the captain please explicitly 
describe what countrv he hails from and what gfovern- 
ment he represents." 

Bainbridge thought for a minute, and then made an- 
swer. 

" Will you say to those who sent you," he said, dis- 
covering that the gayly caparisoned visitor was merely a 
messenger, " that this frigate comes from the country to 
the westward — the Xew World — discovered bv Colum- 
bus? " 

This seemed entirely satisfactory, and the turbaned 
one took his departure for the second time. In a few 
hours a larger boat was seen approaching with the same 
messenger, accompanied by an elderly man. and they came 
on board at once. They brought a lamb and a bunch of 
flowers, the former as an emblem of peace and the latter 
of welcome. 

The elderly man proved to be the captain of the port, 
and he bore instructions to conduct the frigate into the 
inner harbor. The anchor was tri])ped as she entered 
into the mole, passing close to the castle and firing a 
salute of twenty-one guns, which apparently afforded 
much satisfaction and was returned promptly. 

Half an hour after the George Washington had come 
to anchor, although it was now (juite late, a boat rowed off 
to the shij) with an invitatit)n from the Grand Seignior 
for the American commander to appear before his august 
presence. The Algerine ambassador was not mentioned, 
although word had been sent of his arrival. 

The Grand Seignior's first remark w;i< upon the flag 
that he had particularly noticed. 

" It is, like my own." he said, " decorated with one of 
the heavenly bodies, and I consider this coincidence a 



COMMODORE BAINP.RIDOE. 



good omen of the future friendly intercourse between 
our respective nations. It is most probable that we have 
many affinities of laws, religion, and manners." 

Bainbridge tried to explain in a few words a little 
about his country, and the Sultan displayed great interest 
but great ignorance. The next morning the Algerine 
ambassador reported himself at the palace but was de- 
nied an audience, word being sent to him to wait until 
the return of the Capudan Pasha, or High Admiral, 
then absent on a cruise. As the ambassador refused to 
leave the ship, Bainbridge was compelled to put up 
with him as a guest for some time longer; but he hoped 
the Capudan Pasha would not delay long, for he 
was anxious to get rid of his mission and proceed home- 
ward. 

The eighth day after the arrival of the George Wash- 
ington a very resplendent dragoman came ofTshore, and 
by means of an interpreter, who spoke French, he in- 
quired of Captain Bainbridge if the latter did not know 
that there was such an officer as the Reis EfTendi in the 
city of Constantinople. 

" You have reached this port," added the dragoman, 
" without citlier the consent or the acknowledgement of 
the Turkish Government — something without precedent 
— and }ou ha\e neglected to report yourself to the proper 
officer, and thereby you have offered him an indignity 
which requires a reparation. His Supreme Royal High- 
ness, the Reis Effendi, hereby orders you to report and 
a])])ear before him to-morrow morning at ten o'clock." 

Bainbridge was nonplused at first, but he concluded 
that it would be best to put on a bold front, although he 
did not know against whom he had offended. 

" Although I command this ship, tell your master," 
he said, " I carry an ambassador with presents to the Sul- 
tan, and I feel under no obligations to hold intercourse 



COMMODORE EAIXBRIDGE. 



with members of the Government other than an inter- 
change of civiHties." 

" Xo matter what your own personal feehngs may be," 
responded the dragoman, nodding significantly, " I advise 
you not to disobey the commands which I have deliv- 
ered." 

" I (U) not regard them as commands," Bainbridge said 
rather hotly, for the understrapper's insolence was cal- 
culated to disturb one's peace of mind. " And as for his 
threats, tell him they amount to nothing. This is all I 
have to say." 

Upon thinking matters over later in the day, it seemed 
to him that it would be prudent to find out from some 
of the resident ministers of one of the countries friendly 
to the United States exactly what position the Effendi 
held, and what it would be best for him to do under the 
circumstances. As the United States had no representa- 
tive at all at the Sultan's court. Bainbridge accordingly 
waited on Lord Elgin, the British ambassador, and told 
him the whole story, informing him of the message he 
had received from the Reis Effendi. and expressing a hope 
that the amicable relations then existing between their 
respective governments would justify his calling upon 
him for such aid as he might find necessary in case any 
trouble should arise. 

Lord Elgin responded promptly by offering his friend- 
ly services, and stating that the object of the Reis Efifendi 
was merely to obtain a bribe. He promised to send a 
message by his dragoman to the importunate gentleman 
that would prevent all further annoyance. 

" You see. Captain Piainbridge." Lord Elgin said. " the 
Grand \'izier. or Reis Effendi. as he calls himself, is 
actually next in rank to the Sultan. But he and the latter 
are comparative strangers for the simple reason that the 
Ottoman potentate has no private correspondence or in- 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDCxE. 73 



terviews with any high official of his Government unless 
it happens that the officer has some near relationship 
through blood or marriage — a most singular regulation, 
but in this case one that works to your favor, for the 
Effendi and the Sultan scarcely speak to one another, 
and only meet at public functions." 

After expressions of gratitude for his lordship's kind- 
ness, Bainbridge put back to his ship, much reassured, for 
he was placed in a worse position in Constantinople than 
he was in the harbor of Algiers, having no one at all to 
represent his Government, and being under the guns of 
the fort, escape was beyond question. 

Two weeks went by, and on the fourteenth day a 
man working up aloft shouted down to the deck of the 
George Washington that a large fleet of thirty or forty 
sail was approaching, distant about six or eight miles. 
Before sunset the Capudan Pasha, the Lord High Ad- 
miral, sailed in. just home from Egypt, with fifteen sail 
of the line and thirty smaller vessels. As the leading 
battle ship entered the harbor the George Washington 
fired a salute. But no answer was given, for at that 
moment a heavy squall blew across the Bosporus, and 
many of the vessels were taken all aback, the largest, the 
flagship, only being saved from going ashore by dexterous 
handling. Bainbridge was disappointed and hurt that 
no attention had been paid to his twenty-one guns. 
But the next morning, very early, he was informed that 
the admiral's private secretary, IMr. Zacbe. was waiting 
to see him. Upon being ushered into the captain's pres- 
ence he advanced, and, omitting the low ol)eisance of 
the Ottoman, he extended his hand in European fashion, 
at the same time saying in good English: 

" The admiral's compliments to Captain Bainbridge. 
and he regrets that an accident alone prevented his re- 
plying to the captain's courteous salute. He desires me 

6 



74 COMMODORE BAINBr^IDGE. 

to state that he will relurn it at noon to-dav, gun for 
gun." 

Bainbridge could not help expressing his delight at 
meeting one who was close to those high in authority, 
who could speak his language, and who knew about his 
country. 

" Ah, indeed. I know of it well." returned the ad- 
miral's secretary. " 1 was educated in Paris and London, 
and while in the former place I had the great pleasure 
of meeting the illustrious Benjamin Franklin. Indeed, 
although I was a very young man, 1 might say that we 
became good friends." 

Bainbridge was much taken with Mr. Zacbe's engag- 
ing manner, his demeanor, and intelligence, and he held 
quite a long conversation. in which the secretary expressed 
himself as a great admirer of the structure of our insti- 
tutions, and displayed no little knowledge of our history. 
A friendship was thus commenced that lasted through 
many years; until Mr. Zacbe's death, in fact, regular cor- 
respondence was exchanged, although Bainbridge and he 
were so many thousands of miles apart. 

Promptly at twelve o'clock the Turkish flagship fired 
a salute with broadside guns, after which the captain re- 
ceived an invitation to visit the admiral at his palace, 
which was near to that of the Sultan and uoi far from 
the water. Capudan Pasha received the American officer 
w'ith the greatest hospitality and many protestations of 
delight. 



CHAPTER IX. 

When Lord El^in was informed by Bainbridge that 
the Capudan Pasha had taken the George Washington 
under his immediate protection, he was profuse in his 
congratulations, stating that it was an honor that had 
been extended to few vessels, and was full of promise for 
any negotiations that he might seek to bring about, or 
any favors he might desire to ask. 

" Your way is now paved," he said, " and no better 
opportunity could present itself for extending an entente 
cordiale between the Ottoman Government and your 
own." 

Bainbridge saw this, and after his reception by the 
Turkish admiral he invited the latter on board the frigate 
and made every preparation to luake a favorable impres- 
sion. Although the admiral declined the honor of din- 
ing, owing to the fact that he would have to meet the 
ambassador from Algiers, who had not been accredited, he 
came on board with a large retinue in great splendor late 
in the afternoon. 

The ship was covered with bunting, the yardarms were 
manned, and the crew were dressed in clean white uni- 
forms. The Capudan Pasha was delighted with every- 
thing he saw. He remarked with great approbation the 
correct deportment of the officers, and praised highly the 
discipline and subordination of the crew. He was amazed 
at the structure of the ship, the heaviness of her bulwarks, 
and the strength of her timbers; for, mind you. he looked 

75 



76 COMMODORE BAIN BRIDGE. 



at her witli a sailor's eye. Ikit most he marveled at the 
cleanliness and neatness thai prevailed throughout. He 
regretted frankly that such a state of things would never 
be found on board a Turkish vessel, and humorously ex- 
pressed it that he was afraid his junior officers would see 
no use in such carefulness and attention to detail. 

Before he left he invited Bainbridge and his first 
lieutenant to dine with him at his i)alace on the next day 

but one. 

Although this vvas not a state function, and there 
were but seven seated at the table, the dinner was of great 
importance, as Bainbridge learned that the embassy which 
he had been at such pains to bring thither was not to be 
accredited at all. The presents of silks and satins, the lion 
cubs, and the .Vrabian steeds were all to be returned 
whence they came. 

" What message the Grand Seignior intends to send 
to the Dey of Algiers has not yet been determined upon, 
but the Sultan has expressed the greatest displeasure at 
the conduct of Algiers, and will probably demand of him 
innnediate reparation for the depredations he has com- 
mitted on the connnerce of Austria and other friendly 
nations, and also for his disobedience in making peace 
with France, our enemy." 

Bainbridge then told of the insolent demand of the 
Dey that he should fly the Algerine tlag. When ho heard 
of this, the Pa^ha frcnvned. 

'■ While in < )tt(inian waters." he said at last, " pray 
lly no flag but that of yt)ur own country, and as upon 
your return voyage you will still be under my protection. 
I respectfuUv request that \(Ui do not lly any other but 
tliat wliicli is now at the peak ot wuir xc-^-el. ' 

AltogetluT the dinner was a great success. The great 
Enfrlish traveler. Edward Daniel Clarke, who had traveled 
to Constantinople from St. Petersburg in Russia over- 




The Turkish admiral visits the Washington. 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 77 



land by the way of Moscow and Odessa, was one of the 
guests. He was the first foreigner to make this long and 
hazardous journey. 

This was by no means the last of the meetings be- 
tween the admiral and the American captain. \'isits were 
exchanged on many occasions, and several long excur- 
sions were made into the surrounding country and up the 
Thracian Bosporus. Bainbridge penetrating in his long 
boat even as far as the Black Sea. where he wnshed to 
hoist the American flag for the first time. He was also 
fortunate enough to secure a nearer view of the private 
and social life of the Turkish ruler than has fallen to the 
lot of many men. for Mr. Clarke one day presented him 
to Count Browlaski. a Pole in the service of the Sultan, 
a high ofBcer in the court circle, and one who had im- 
mediate supervision of the gardens and the policing of 
the palace grounds. 

Bainbridge had expressed a desire to see the inside of 
the seraglio and the harem, whose many grated windows 
looked down upon the blue w^aters of the bay from above 
the palace walls. The Englishman at once laughed and 
shrugged his shoulders. 

" That speech shows your innocence. Captain Bain- 
bridge," he said. " No one, not even our friend the count 
here, has had that privilege." 

At this Count Browlaski looked over his shoulder, 
and observing that no one was nigh them, he confided to 
them that if they wished to run a certain amount of risk 
he thought the adventure might be carried out. Ac- 
cordingly plans were arranged, and the visit was success- 
fully accomplished. Mr. Clarke, in his book of travels, 
mentions meeting Captain Bainbridge. and going with 
him into the inner recesses of the palace in disguise. He 
dwells at some length upon the dangers that were en- 
countered, but in a letter to a friend of his. Bainbridge 



78 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

made liij;ht of them in describing- the same event. But 
he added generously, upon reading Mr. Clarke's account: 
" One gentleman may honestly apprehend great peril 
where it can not be perceived by another." 

In return for all the courtesies that had been shown 
him, Bainbridge gave a large entertainment in the cabin 
of the George Washington. Although the admiral again 
declined the honor of being present, he was represented 
unofficiallv bv Mr. Zacbe, his secretarv. The disgruntled 
Algerine ambassador was also present. He was a man of 
grave deportment and good manners, and Bainbridge 
had begun to feel really sorry for him, owing to the failure 
of his mission, and the consequences that it might entail 
upon him and his family, for eastern vengeance does 
not stop at the principles involved in trouble or dis- 
grace. 

It was a remarkable entertainment in more ways 
than one. Upon the four corners of the table were 
so many decanters containing fresh water from the four 
quarters of the globe. The natives of Europe, Asia, Africa, 
and America sat down together at one board. Fruits, 
preserved dishes and \iands were passed about — a sample 
of four different continents. In writing of this affair, Mr. 
Clarke explains it thus: " The means of accomplishing 
this extraordinary entertainment is easily understood b\- 
his ( r.ainbridge's) ha\'ing touched at Algiers in his j)as- 
sage from America, and his being at anchor so near the 
shores of both Europe and of Asia." 

Two more very important inter\icws Bainbridge held 
with the Capudan Pasha. The first was in answer to a 
re(|uest to know how long it would Ije expected of him to 
stay in port, and whether it would be necessary for him to 
return the embass\- which had made such a fruitless jour- 
ney. The ;i(lniii"ar> reply to the first was that he did not 
think Bainbridge wt)uld now be detained longer than four 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 79 



or five days at the outside, but he requested especially 
that he would return the ambassador and his suite, who 
had not been permitted to land since their arrival in the 
harbor. 

As Bainbridge had had many conversations with the 
Pasha on the subject of a treaty of commerce with the 
Ottoman Government, he could not very well refuse. But 
this was not the only subject of discussion at the meet- 
ing. A few minutes previous to Bainbridge's taking his 
departure the Turkish admiral had incidentally observed 
that he had not been a little surprised to learn on his re- 
turn to the port that the American frigate had not been 
subjected to the usual restraints of the Dardanelles. 

" I assure you. Monsieur le Capitaine, that it is the 
first time a foreign armored vessel has reached this port 
without our express permission and a firman from the 
Grand Seignior — Oh, do not apologize," he added, see- 
ing that Bainbridge was about to speak. " I attach no 
blame whatever to your honorable conduct. You arc a 
stranger to the laws and customs of this country and 
could not be expected to know our rules and regulations. 
But," he added, frow^iing, " it was, nevertheless, the gov- 
ernor of the castle's duty to stop you at the Dardanelles, 
even if, alas! he had to sink the fine vessel which you have 
the honor to command. He is not to escape punish- 
ment for this obvious breach of duty, for he is at present 
under sentence of death for his dereliction. It requires 
but my signature, and that, I promise you, shall not 
be withheld. He dies the day after to-morrow at sun- 
down." 

Bainbridge drew back in horror. The idea of allowing 
an innocent man to suffer for a doing of his own was more 
than his just mind and noble nature could brook for an 
instant. Xo matter what the consequences might be. he 
would make a statement. 



8o COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

I assure your highness that the governor of the 
castle at the straits is not c\en censurable for his con- 
duct. Believe me, it was through no fault of his that my 
vessel came by him." 

The Capudan Pasha smiled and shrugged his 
shoulders. 

" He should ha\e stopped you at all hazards, Alon- 
sieur," he said. " Pray explain how any vessel could 
pass those powerful batteries upon which the safety of 
this city depends without gross neglect on the part of 
the connnander of the castle.'' 

" Put he was not neglectful." Bainbridge spoke almost 
loudly now in his eagerness to convince the admiral of his 
sincerity. — " He was not neglectful. He imagined that 
I was coming to anchor. 1 frankly confess to you that I 
did everything in my power to deceive him into think- 
ing that I was going to comply with the requirements 
of the port, for I knew well of the custom, and deter- 
mined to evade it, if I could, to avoid delay. If any 
one should be ])unis]ied it should be myself. I'ut I trust 
that you will consider the circumstances and m\- haste 
to perform the mission that I had so unwillingly under- 
taken." 

Bainl)ridge had no idea what would be the effect of 
this remarkable statement. The surj^rise of the admiral 
was plain at the outset, but as Bainbridge proceeded, the 
frown gradually left his face to be replaced by one of 
friendly amazement, and when the captain had linished 
speaking, the Pasha extended his hand. 

" Thanks, a thousand times, for your bra\e words, my 
friend," he said. " The Governor was an old and trusted 
friend of mine. T now believe him to have been a faithful 
ofiRccr. T thank you from my heart again for saving me 
nuich pain, and preser\ing to the service of the Sultan a 
loyal servant. Do not fear that the words you have said 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 8i 



shall cause you to suffer iu any way. To-night one of my 
swiftest sailing boats will leave bearing the message that 
the governor is pardoned and restored to his former au- 
thority." 

An English ship was alxnil sailing for the port of 
Gibraltar, and by her Bainbridge sent the following letter, 
with a request to the captain to place it on board the first 
vessel bound for the United States. The epistle w^as ad- 
dressed to his Excellency the Secretary of the Navy of 
the United States, and read as follows: 

" Sir: On the 23d of December, 1801, I was requested 
by the Capudan Pasha to wait upon him at his palace. I 
was received in a very friendly manner, and had some con- 
versation respecting the formation of a treaty with the 
Ottoman Porte, and he expressed a very great desire 
that a minister should be sent from the United States to 
effect it. I informed him that there was one already 
named, who at present was in Lisbon, and probably 
would be here in six months. He said lie would write 
to the ambassador, which letter would be a protection 
for him while in the Turkish Empire, and gave me lib- 
erty to recommend any merchant vessel to his protection 
which might wish to come here previously to the arrival 
of the ambassador. I thanked him in the name of the 
United States for the protection he had been pleased to 
give the frigate under my command, and for his friendly 
attentions to myself and ofificers. I conceive it to be a 
very fortunate moment to negotiate an advantageous 
treaty with this Government. . . . The Capudan Pasha 
rcfiuested me to take two messengers and land them at 
Malta, being destined for Tripoli and Tunis, which I have 
consented to do. conceiving it to be good policy. I think 
it very probable that the States of Barbary will shortly 
receive chastisement from the Turks." 



82 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 



The ambassador of the Dey requested the honor of 
an interview with Bainbridge the next morning. He was 
found in a towering rage, and was ahnost unintelhgible, 
as he tried to explain that at last the Grand Seignior had 
condescended to answer him. He said he was directed to 
return at once to Algiers, which country was ordered to 
immediately declare war against France; his master, the 
Dey, was to be compelled to pay the large sum of one 
million of piastres, and that only sixty days were to be 
allowed for the transmitting of this dispatch to Algiers 
and for an answer to be returned to Constantinople. If 
this time was exceeded war would be at once declared on 
Algiers. 

The ambassador begged and implored Bainbridge to 
make haste and leave the shores of Turkey behind him. 
All his airs of superiority and importance disappeared. He 
was a frightened, cringing, and well-nigh hopeless crea- 
ture whose ruin stared him in the face. As Bainbridee 
had been requested to wait upon the Capudan Pasha the 
next morning, it was impossible for him to leave until 
this was complied with; but yielding to the importuni- 
ties of the frightened ambassador, he sent a messenger 
to the palace, asking that he should be allowed to see 
the admiral in the afternoon in order that he might sail 
at daybreak the next morning. Word came back that 
the Pasha would be glad to see him. 

After presenting Bainbridge with a letter addressed 
to the Honorable William Smith, minister plenipotentiary 
of the United States at the port of Lisbon, the admiral 
turned with a great deal of courtesy and said the following- 
words in parting: 

" As your ship has been under my protection, she shall 
receive the honors that are reserved exclusively for my 
flag. In passing the fortress of Tapana it will salute you, 
which, of course, you will return." 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 83 



By regulation this fortress saluted no one but the 
Capudan Pasha, and the compliment had never before 
been extended to any foreign vessel of war, nor even to 
Turkish vessels commanded by a less personage than an 
admiral; Init, what was more important, Bainbridge bore 
away with him passports for the George Washington 
which entitled that vessel and her commander at all 
times to greatest respect in Turkish ports, and from all 
ships of that empire. 

The officer at the Dardanelles, who had been restored 
to his command, sensible of the gallant conduct of Bain- 
bridge, invited him to his castle, and in the most feeling 
maimer thanked him for having saved his life when he 
had given up all hope and made his last will, excepting 
surely to perish. He insisted upon presenting the frigate 
with almost a cargo of fresh provisions and fruit, and 
he parted from the captain with renewed assurances of 
endless gratitude. 



CHAPTER X. 

It was the 21st of January, 1801. when the George 
Washington arrived again off Algiers, but Bainbridge had 
profited by the lesson he had learned, and he brought his 
ship to anchor outside of the mole and beyond the range 
of the harbor batteries. 

As soon as he had appeared, two large sailboats put 
out to meet him; one contained Mr. O'Brien and the 
other a representative of the Dey. and it was a race to 
see which one would arrive first. O'Brien's sailboat, how- 
ever, caught a bad current liy keeping too close to the 
shore, and the regent's boat was the first alongside. Bain- 
bridcre received the court officer without much ceremonv, 
and was rather amused to notice that the effect of seeing 
the returned embassy depressed the very consequential 
individual. 

Before he had asked any ([uestions of his country- 
man, he hastened to deliver a message for his master, in 
the following words: " His High Mightiness the Dey has 
noticed at what distance the honorable captain has 
<lr(.i)])ed anchor, and he expresses great solicitude that 
mnnediately the frigate should be moved nearer the 
city. It surely must be inconvenient, his High Mighti- 
ness fears, for the of^cers to have connnunication with 
the shore." 

As the messenger was still speaking O'Brien came on 
board. 

"Listen to the blackguard!" ho exclaimed, after 

84 



COMMODORE BAIXHRTDGE. 85 



greeting Bainbridge. '* Listen to the palvering old 

scamp! " 

" He would have me under the guns of his fortress 
again if he could." Bainbridge said, half smiling; "but 
he won't get me there so easily this time." 

" I see you've returned the menagerie," commented 
O'Brien. 

" Yes, and I'll be glad to be rid of them," said Bain- 
bridge, watching the preparations that were being made 
for the Moslems to leave the ship. 

Indeed it was a great relief when the last one had gone 
over the side, and were it not for one thing, the American 
captain would have made all haste to get away. But 
previous to sailing he had taken aboard as ballast a large 
number of old iron cannon, which he promised to return, 
and he felt himself in duty bound to do so. And so he 
called away his gig. and. accompanied by the consul, he 
rowed into the harbor, intending to obtain an interview 
with the Dey; but again he was disappointed in securing a 
direct audience, and had to be content carrying on a 
species of verbal correspondence through the medium of 
one of the court officials. 

Bainbridge had allowed ]\Ir. O'Brien to begin the 
negotiations, but the Dey's reply to the usual formal 
greetings showed his position clearly. Point-blank he 
made the request to the consul general to order Bain- 
bridge to return at once with his messenger to Constanti- 
nople. Bainbridge, upon hearing this, could not contain 
his indignation. Whirling suddenly, he advanced upon 
the astonished minister and in loud tones delivered him- 
self of the following speech, while poor Mr. O'Brien al- 
most collapsed in a state of fright, fearing the result of his 
friend's temerity: 

'' Tell your master." Bainbridge said fiercely to the in- 
terpreter, " that he has forgotten the oath he swore not to 



86 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

make any further demands upon me after the first voyage 
was performed. Xow, in the face of such a solemn declara- 
tion, he makes another insolent request. Any one who 
thus proves his unworthiness should be denied all cre- 
dence. Tell him I do not doubt his disposition to capture 
my frigate and enslave my officers and crew. To preserve 
peace I complied wijh his first demand. I have done 
everything which the commander of a ship would be justi- 
fied in doing to prevent hostilities; but, mark you. if the 
Dey is determined to have war, if he is so mad as to make 
the Americans his enemy, he soon will have cause to 
regret it." 

With these words Bainbridge beckoned for the consul 
to follow him, and stalked out of the palace. In addition 
to the letter which has been quoted, Bainbridge had 
written another one to the Secretarv of the Xavv saving 
that he anticipated a demand of this character, but giv- 
ing assurance that he intended to resist it, " believing 
that the Government of the United States would never 
sanction an act so humiliating." 

The following morning he requested from Mr. O'Brien 
that he send lighters off to the ship to receive the old 
cannon; but the Dey, hearing of this, not only forbade 
the consul making use of lighters, but declared that in 
the event of the guns not being returned at once, war 
would immediately be made upon the United States. 

The consul, much frightened, asked Bainbridge to set- 
tle matters by running his ship into the mole and deliver- 
ing up the cannon. Bainl)ri(lge refused to do this until he 
had received a positivepromise from the Dey thai he should 
not be approached upoi"^';the subject of a second voyage. 
Reluctantly this was given, but there was to be a dramatic 
scene in consecjuence. A\'hen Bainbridgie came ashore 
after seeing that the cannon were hoisted over the side 
on to the dock, he was met by a court official accom- 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDCxE. 87 



panied by some thirty or forty armed janizaries, and word 
was given him that the Dey requested his presence on 
a matter of the utmost importance. 

Leaving- orders with his first Heutcnant to begin at 
once to warp the ship out into the harbor and set sail 
if he did not return within two hours, taking with liini 
only a midshipman, Bainbridge waited upon " his High 
IMightiness " at the palace and found him in a towering 



rage. 



Dog of a Christian, down on your knees! " shrieked 
the Dey. pointing to the floor at his feet. '' Down, I say! " 
he continued, jumping up as he noticed that Bainbridge's 
only reply was a calm folding of his arms and a more 
erect carriage to his figure, in every motion of which 
the little midshipman accompanied him. 

The Dey was absolutely foaming and spluttering in 
his wrath. He drew his long curved scimiter, and at the 
motion the crowd of armed men drew theirs also. The 
minutes that Bainbridge and his little companion had 
to Hve seemed numbered, when suddenly the captain 
thought 6{ the firman that he had thrust in his pocket a 
minute before he had left shipboard. Not having the 
least idea of what the result would be he drew it forth. 
v^\t sight of the document, with its two ponderous seals, 
the Dey's jaw dropped, and sheathing his weapon, he 
fell back timorously before Bainbridge, who, backed up 
by the unflinching little middy, advanced upon him. un- 
rolling the document and displaying it triumphantly for 
the Dey's inspection. Only in the Arabian Nights could 
any one read of such transformations being enacted. 
It was as if he had pronounced so'jie magic word — some 
open sesame — whose power was resistless. With a weak 
motion to his astonished court the Dey bade them with- 
draw, and, to the American captain's wonderment, he found 
confronting him, not an arrogant, bloodthirsty tyrant, 



88 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

but a cringing, humble dependent, alone but for a single 
dragoman who had prostrated himself upon the Boor. 
Almost abjectly he requested the honor of having the 
American captain sit down beside him on the divan. As 
Bainbridge wrote, " his bearing became less lofty, his 
words honeyed, and his offers of service must liberal." 

The Dey cut down the flagstaff before the French 
consulate, declared war against France, and made prepa- 
rations to send an installment of the money demanded 
by the Sultan, amounting to one million five hundred 
thousand piastres, and humble apology thrown in. to 
Turkey. 

By orders of the Sultan also he had been compelled 
to liberate about four hundred Venetians, Maltese, and 
Sicilians, whom he had taken prisoners when they were 
traveling under the protection of British passports. All 
these people hailed Bainbridge as their generous de- 
liverer. 

Just before he was ready to sail, it was rumored' that 
the citizens of the French Republic, hfty-six in number, 
consisting of men, women, and children, had been by 
the Dey's orders thrown into chains and treated as slaves. 
Bainbridge and Mr. O'Brien waited upon the Dey, 
and expressed to him their ideas about such treatment. 

'■ .\11 right," the Dey returned; " then they must 
lea\c -Mgiers in forty-eight hours." 

" There are no vessels ready to convey us. Grant us 
more time," prayed Monsieur Dubois de Trainville, who 
was present at the interview. 

" Our countries are now at war." he added, turning 
to rjainbridge; "but I beseech you, for the cause of hu- 
manitv, to take me and the other French prisoners aboard 
of your shij)." 

But the consul had only anticipated Bainbridge's own 
desire, the captain giving up his own cabin for the use 



COMMODORE BAIXBRI DOE. 



89 



of the ladies, and supplying: them all with the necessities 
for the voyage, for the poor French people left Algiers 
in such a hurry that they had time to procure nothing 
but the clothes they wore. 

The George Washington, bidding farewell to Algiers, 
set sail for France, and after a short passage arrived safely 
at Alicante. The gratitude of the people whom he had 
saved was unbounded, and Napoleon, at that time first 




Alicante. 



consul, tendered his " acknowledgments and thanks to 
Captain Bainbridge for the important services he had 
rendered the republic, with assurances that such kind 
offices would always be remembered, and reciprocated 
with pleasure whenever occasion offered." 

* From Alicante. Bainbridge set sail for America, and 
after explaining and reporting to the President in per- 
son, the latter expressed his approbation, and even com- 
mended him for the judicious and skillful manner in which 
7 



90 COMMODORE BAIN BRIDGE. 



he had discharg-ed his duty while under the pressure of 
such extraorcHnary circumstances. 

A historian, writings contemj)oraneously of these times, 
says as follows: " This humiliating condition in which 
Captain Bainbridge was placed arose out of the feeble 
policy of our Government in stipulating to purchase an 
ininuiiiily from insult to our citizens, and spoliations on 
our commerce by paying an annual tribute to barbarians 
whom it could have readily controlled by force. There is 
no other way of giving complete protection to our citi- 
zens and to our ]:)ro])erty afloat than by ' the cannon's 
mouth." iJcarly-ljought ex])erience has proved the utter 
fallacy of Mr. Jefferson's scheme of preserving peace by 
pursuing a pacific and upright policy toward all nations. 
The point is now settled, however, that nothing less than 
an exhibition of force and willingness to exercise it can 
maintain unimpaired our national rights and dignit\'." 

Indeed, it is most remarkable when we think that the 
United States could lia\e so long jnit up with this con- 
dition of affairs. There were many who saw that it could 
end but one way, and advocated a very different line of 
action. Among these was the young officer who. at the 
age of twenty-six, had conducted himself with such a 
disjilay of knowledge and judgment. It was safe to assert 
that he would answer for himself in the event of troublous 
times. 



CHAPTER XL 

Tt was Bainbrid^e's good fortune to find his wife and 
all his relations well. Another happy reunion was held 
at Middletown. But in the latter part of May a long 
envelope was handed to him. which he read to all those 
grouped about the table, from the Secretary of the Xa\v, 
and couched in the following terms: " Appreciating high- 
ly your character as an officer, the President has selected 
you to command the frigate Essex, and has placed the 
whole squadron under the command of Commodore Rich- 
ard Dale, to whose orders he enjoins you to pay strict 
attention and due obedience." 

As the Essex was then in New York, Bainbridge joined 
her at once, and found that the squadron preparing for 
sea consisted of the President, flagship of Commodore 
Dale; the Philadelphia, under command of Captain Bar- 
ron; his own vessel the Essex; and the schooner Enter- 
prise, under comnirind of Commandant Sterrett. Tt was 
intended that these ships should proceed to the Medi- 
terranean to protect .American commerce, with whose in- 
terests the Bashaw of Tripoli had seen fit to interfere. 
Bainbridge was rejoiced to go on this expedition, and de- 
lighted that he shcnild have been honored with the com- 
mand of so fine a vessel as the Essex. He was most for- 
tunate to have under him a fine body of young officers and 
seamen. His first lieutenant was a man of character and 
determination; there was not much difference in their 
ages, and his name was Stephen Decatur. 

.91 



92 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 



After a pleasant voyage, the squadron arrived at Gib- 
raltar on the I St of July, where two large Tripolitan cor- 
sairs were found at anchor. The Philadelphia was detailed 
to watch the movements of the Tripolitans. while the 
Essex was dispatched to Marseilles. Barcelona. Alicante, 
and other ports on the coast, for the purpose of collecting 
the American merchant fleet, preparatory to escorting it 
through the Strait of Gibraltar. 

Barcelona was the first port visited. The Yankee 

frigate was received with a great deal of courtesy, and all 

went well for the first few days, until the officers of a 

Spanish guard ship, angered and jealous because of the 

comments of their countrymen in comparing their own 

craft with that of the Americans, decided to make it 

disagreeable for officers going on shore or passing off to the 

vessel. So they stopped three or four boats and insulted 

the officers. The morning after this occurrence Decatur 

rowed to the Spaniard, and demanded to see the officer 

in connnanil — intending to challenge him, for duels 

were then common occurrences. When he was told that 

the lieutenant he was after had gone ashore, he left 

the following message for liim, to be given to him on his 

return: "Tell the man who threatened to fire into an 

unarmed boat's crew that Lieutenant Decatur, of the 

Essex, denounces him as a cowardly scoundrel, and when 

they meet on shore he will cut his ears oft'." 

Luckil}-. however, no meeting took place, for it is 
without doubt that Lieutenant Decatur would have done 
his best to carry out liis threat. 

It might be unfair to leave the subject, however, witli- 
out stating that the insolent Spanish officer was com- 
pelled to apologize. 

Sailing from P.arcelona with a large fleet of merchant- 
men that had been collected in the various harbors of 
the MediUM-ranean. the Essex saw them safely outside of 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 93 

the strait and returned to Gibraltar, where it was learned 
that the Tripolitan corsairs had been successfully cooped 
u]) and l)een dismantled l)y tlic Philadelphia, and the crews 
sent over to ^Vfrica in small boats by night, to make their 
way to Tripoli across the desert, while the Tripolitan ad- 
miral had taken passage in an English vessel bound for 
Malta. 

Bainbridgc cruised in different parts of the Mediter- 
ranean during- the winter and spring, and showed himself 
off the cities of Tunis, Algiers, and Tripoli. 

The Essex needing repairs, she was ordered to return 
home, where she arrived in July, 1802. 

In the harbor of New York there was a little trouble 
with the crew, who insisted upon l)eing discharged and paid 
off, as their time had expired; but, owing to Bainbridge's 
promptness, a mutiny was averted and the frigate pro- 
ceeded at once to Washington, and after some delay 
reached the na\}- yard early in August, where she was dis- 
mantled in order to make the necessary repairs. 

Bainbridge. who had removed his family to Philadel- 
phia, was not loath to receive orders for shore duty as soon 
as his leave of absence was u\\ Tic was connected with 
the Ordnance Department, and superintended the build- 
ing of the l)rig Siren and the schooner Vixen. It was 
not till the 21st of May, 1803, that he received sailing- 
orders, and was given the command of the frigate Phila- 
delphia, forty-four guns. 

She was soon ordered attached to the squadron of 
Commodore Preble, consisting of the tlagship Constitu- 
tion of forty-four guns; the l)rig Siren of twelve guns, 
under command of Captain Stewart ; the schooner Vixen 
of fourteen guns. Eieutenant-Commandant J- Smith; the 
Argus of sixteen guns, under command of Lieutenant- 
Commandant I. Hull; the Nautilus of twelve guns, Lieu- 
tenant-Commander R, Somers; Enterprise of twelve 



94 



COMMODORE BAIMU<II)GE. 



s^iins, commanded by Lieutenant-Commandant Stephen 
Decatur. The whole expechtion was fitted out with the 
intention of cruising in the Mediterranean, but as it would 
be some time before they would all be ready, Bainbridge 
received orders on the 13th of July to proceed with his 
frigate, the Philadelphia, in advance of the others, antl. 
under the authority of an act of Congress, to subdue, seize, 
and make prize of all vessels, goods, and effects belong- 
ing to the Bashaw of Tripoli or his subjects, who had de- 
clared war against the United States. 

Once more Bainbridge found under his orders a fine 
body of officers. Their names ha\e since become known 
to history. David Porter was his first lieutenant, Jacob 
Jones his second, Theodore Hunt and Benjamin Smith, 
his third and fourth, respectively. Among the midship- 
men we find James Biddle, Robert Gamble, James Ren- 
shaw% and D. T. Patterson. 

On the 26th of August the Philadelphia was off 
Cabo de Gata, a promontory on the coast of Spain. It 




Oerna 
Deaert of earca~'Alexan Jria 



Location of Ports in the Mediterranean. 



was blowing very fresh, and only a mile or so distant was 
seen a large ship carrying only her foresail, and just astern 
of her was a little brig. e\idently in licr companw It was 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDCiE. 95 

so dark that it was impossible to determine the character 
of either vessel; but at early daybreak they were quite 
near to hand, and it was perceived that the ship was 
heavily armed, although all of her guns were housed, lier 
appearance was suspicious, as her decks swarmed with 
swarthy men, and she displayed no flag. 

Without stating who he was, Bainbridge hailed her, 
and ordered her to send a boat and one of her officers on 
board of him at once. The fact that the brig w'as so close 
to the other almost confirmed him in his suspicions that she 
was a prize. The officer who boarded the Philadelphia 
in obedience to the command was dressed in European 
costume and spoke both French and Spanish. He denied 
that the brig was a prize, but confessed that she was an 
American, and had been with them four or five days, but 
was not in any way detained. He stated that his own 
ship was a Aloorish cruiser of twenty-two guns and carry- 
ing one hundred and twenty men; that she belonged to 
the Emperor of Morocco; that her name was the Mesh- 
boha; and that she was commanded by Ibrahim Lubarez. 

Lieutenant Porter rowed ofif to the ship in order to 
see if there were any American prisoners on board, but 
Captain Lubarez prevented his boarding, and as this in- 
creased Bainbridge's suspicion, he sent a boat iilled with 
armed men to enforce his commands. 

But let the story be told in Captain Bainbridge's 
own words: " Xo opposition was offered to this force; 
they (the boat's crew) found Captain Richard Row'en, of 
the American brig Cecilia, owned by Amasa Thayer, of 
Boston, and seven of his crew, who were taken on the 
17th of August, twenty-five miles eastw^ard of Malaga, 
whither they were bound. The Moors confined them 
under deck, which they always do when speaking a vessel 
the character of which is not known. The Moorish cap- 
tain displayed a passport that had been obtained from the 



96 COMMODORE BAINBRTDGE. 

United States consul at Tangiers, and. on seeing this, 
Bainbridge had no hesitation in making all on board 
prisoners because of the violation of faith. 

" The Americans were taken off and placed back on 
their own vessel, and allowed to depart for Malaga. The 
morning after the capture, Bainbridge held a conversation 
at some length with Bjrahim. He asked him whv he 
should so violate all rules of honor by capturing the vessel 
of a friendly nation while sailing under her passport. The 
wily Mohammedan said at first that his sole reason was 
the fact that he supposed his country ai'id the United 
States would soon be at war." 

"Is that the truth?" questioned Bainbridge, upon 
hearing this. 

The Moor signified assent. 
• '' Then, sir," returned Bainbridge sternly, " I must 
consider you a pirate, and will be obliged to treat you as 
such. If in one quarter of an hour your authority for 
preying upon the commerce of the United States is not 
forthcoming, I'll hang you to yonder main yardarm as a 
malefactor." 

With that he sent the trembling wretch into the cabin 
under guard, and in a quarter of an hour he had him 
brought on deck. A rope was wove with a noose at the 
end of it. and one glance at that and his captor's deter- 
mined countenance, and the Moor's knees began to 
tremble, llastily he unbuttoned several waistcoats, and 
from the inside pocket of the fifth he drew out a docu- 
ment. It was a pajicr signed by the Emperor of Mo- 
rocco authorizing the capture of .Xnicrican \ossels. This 
saved the Moor's life, and the paper was sent to Com- 
modore Preble at (iibraltar. It was a discovery of great 
importance. 

After discovering that the captain of the Meshboha 
was not acting on his own responsibility, but really under 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 97 



orders of his Goveniniciit, liainbridge treated him with 
great courtesy, and also gave orders to treat the other 
prisoners not as pirates but as prisoners of war, and one 
of the Philadelphia's own seamen was punished for strik- 
inu" one of the Moorish sailors. 

Bainbridge now made sail for Cape St. X'mcent. hear- 
ing that a Moorish thirty-gun ship was cruising in that 
([uarter. The search for her was unsuccessful, and he re- 
turned to the Mediterranean to cruise off Tripoli. 

Ill a few days Commodore Preble arrived, and as soon 
as he had learned of the proceedings he set sail forTangiers 
and demanded instant reparation from the Emperor of 
Morocco. The Emperor said that the Aloorish cruisers 
had not sailed under his orders but under those of the Gov- 
ernor of Tangiers, and he at once made a scapegoat of the 
latter, although it is perfectly apparent that he was really 
the author of the whole trouble. 

Commodore Preble thanked Bainbridge officially and in 
person for his vigilance and foresight, and Congress voted 
afterward prize money to the value of the Moorish vessel 
to be divided among the crew. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Bainbridge was sitting in his cabin late one morning 
looking over some maps wIkmi Lieutenant Porter stopped 
at the cabin door. 

" Well, Mr. Porter," said Captain Bainbridge, looking 
up and smiling, " come in. Did ^ ou wish to speak to 
me?" 

" Yes, sir," replied Porter, entering. " You remember 
the news that the cai)tain of the Neapolitan merchant 
brig gave us the day before yesterday, saying thai a Tri- 
politan brig had just sailed out for a cruise." 

" Indeed I do," cried the captain eagerly. " Did the 
Mxen caj)ture her? She could not have been far be- 
hind." 

Xo," I'orter answered; '" but there is a strange sail, 
evidently a Tripolitan, standing close inshore." 

" Let's up and have a look at her," Bainbridge laughed, 
jamming his heavy hat down upon his brows. " I think 
a little excitement would do us srood. How's the wind?" 

■' .About due cast, sir." 

It was nine o'clock, for two bells were struck just as 
the captain and the lieutenant returned on deck. The 
former took a S(|uint through the telescope at the white 
sail inshore and then turned hurriedlv. 

" It is the cruiser: I'd almost swear to it." he ex- 
claimed. " Make all sail, and take after her. We are but 

six or seven leagues to the east of Tripoli, and. bv George! 

98 



COiMMODORK I'.AI Mi RIDGE. 99 



we'll head her off. We've got all the water we wish under 
our keel; let's put our best foot forward." 

There was much bustle and bawling as the Phila- 
delphia broke out her studding sails and spread her royals, 
and slowly she began to creep up upon the chase, that 
was no mean sailer by the way, and had spread a great 
lanteen sail forward that stretched almost to the water's 
edge over her bulwarks. In a few minutes over an hour 
the corsair was in within long range, and as it was per- 
ceived that she was armed, Bainbridge began to fire at 
her with his forward division; most of the balls fell short, 
but the firing did not interfere in the least with the other's 
attempt to get away. In fact she seemed to increase her 
speed, and did not make a response, although the long- 
range practice was kept up until half-past eleven. By this 
time the entrance to the harbor was in full \-iew, and it 
became apparent that to reach there in advance of the 
other vessel was an impossibility. 

Bainbridge and Porter had made frequent observation 
of the chart, and the deep-sea and the hand lead had been 
busy. The soundings ran from se\en fathoms to ten, 
and the chart showed clear water up to the harbor's 
mouth. Reluctantlv Bainbridge sfave orders to take in 
sail and abandon the chase. The foresail was dropped, 
the helm was ordered hard aj^ort, and the Philadelphia 
began to haul otTslun-e. There was a strong current 
setting in toward the mouth of the harbor, but the 
wind was fresh, and soon the frigate had good headway 
on her. 

" It is a shame to give up after getting so close up," 
gruml)led Lieutenant Porter, noticing that the corsair 
had taken in her sails, evidently satisfied that she had 
shown the big ship a clean pair of heels. 

Bainbridge had jiicked uji a glass and was squinting 
over the taffrail at the low-lving coast and the clusterinsr 



loo rOMMODORK HAIXP.RIDGE. 



white-walled houses and spires that marked the city of 
TrijDoli. 

" By George, sir, look at that fleet of small craft lying 
alongside the wall just inside the harbor! " he exclaimed, 
handing the glass to Porter. 

*' Not so very small," the lieutenant replied; " I should 
judge those vessels ranged from thirty to ninety tons or 
more. They are the craft which do the most damage to 
our shipping — pirates, every man-jack of them! " 

No sooner had he finished speaking than Bainbridge 
made a cjuick spring forward. He had been listening to 
the monotonous voice of the man heaving the lead, and 
the last sounding had filled him with a sudden consterna- 
tion. Eight fathoms — and the next heave seven! — it was 
impossible, but he was not the only one who was listening. 
. " Plash! " went the lead. 

" By the mark, six! " roared the man in the fore chains, 
changing his sing-song to a shrill, frightened tone. 

Such an abrupt shoaling meant nothing less than im- 
mediate danger. The maps had shown safe water, but 
there was no gainsaying the testimony of the lead. 

"Port your helm! "roared Bainbridge, twirling, and let- 
ting go the words at the ciuartermaster as if he was firing 
off a pistol. 

The yards were braced about sharply as the vessel an- 
swered to her helm, but the Philadelphia had been run- 
ning at the rate of five or six knots. It was hard to stop 
such headway, and it seemed hardly a breathing space 
between the time of the first order and the moment that 
a sudden shock was felt, followed by an upward lifting 
motion as the bow raised itself, and then bv a griiuling. 
crunching sound that showed the timbers below were 
undergoing some frightful strain. Bainbridge uttered 
no exclamation. He exchanged a glance with Porter that 
meant much, however — a combined look of astonishment 



COM MO no RE HAINP.RIDC.E. loi 



and distress. P.nt no fear showed in the face of either, 
althoui^h it was a moment to frig^htcn the stoutest hearts. 

Where had the reef come from? ll was as if some 
enemy of the deep had suddenly raised up to crush the 
vessel in its spiteful jaws. 

The watch helow had come pouring up on deck; but 
seeing their commander calmly giving orders from the 
quarter-deck, and their companions scrambling aloft to lay 
the sails aback in obedience to his commands, without the 
least confusion they followed suit, going to their stations 
as quietly as if it were hre drill instead of a sudden danger 
they had to face. 

Lieutenant Jones, who had gone forward to the fore- 
castle, sent Alidshipman Biddle hurrying aft. 

" There's not fourteen feet below us at the fore chan- 
nels, sir! " he said breathlessly, saluting Bainbridge, who 
saw to his dismay that the sails were not working the 
vessel off in the slightest. 

The next order was to run aft all the guns of the for- 
ward division in the hope of raising the bow until she 
should be clear of the rocks. The trunnions roared and 
grumbled as the sailors bustled the heavy, clumsy guns 
down the sloping deck until they were all huddled well 
abaft the mainmast. 

" Has she lifted, sir? " asked Bainbridge of Lieutenant 
Jones. 

" Not an inch, sir," was the answer. 

Matters indeed looked bad. 

" Cut away both those anchors, Mr. Biddle," Bain- 
bridge thundered. 

A few blows with an axe and the four tons of iron 
plashed from either side of the bows. Still she did not 
move. The sails aloft were drawing well. It was a re- 
markable sight. With a cross-current and quite a sea 
running outside, the leach of the mainsail romping and 



I02 



COiVLMOUORE BAIX BRIDGE. 



flapping, and yet the deck of the ship as steady as the floor 
of a courthouse. It produced an uncanny, frightened feel- 
ing that seized upon the heart; it was an unnatural thing 
to watch — if any one could have stopped to watch it: but 
there was not time for tliat; every man was on the jump. 



f 



u 



O 



lO 



*t? /•• 



\ \J 



A^^ 
-^3% - 



.r-' 




Diagram explaining the loss of the Philadelphia. 
Tripoli and the castle on the left ; figures indicating fathoms on the right. 

" Where's the carpenter? Send llic carpenter all to 
me." said Bainbridge quietly to Midshipman Robert 
Gamble. 

The middy ran below. " Godley. you're wanted on the 
(|uarter-(leck." he cried to a tall seaman into whose arms 
he almost fell. " Captain wants to speak to you. Lively 
there! Don't stop." 

The carpenter went up tlu- lailder in three iiim]is: in 
two more he was at the l)reak of the poop. 

"Get ten men and stave in those forward water casks — 
every one of them." 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 103 



Off went the carpenter, plunging down the com- 
panion way. 

" Bo'siin," roared Bainbridge. catching sight of 
Boatswain George Hadger hurrying across the deck, 
" is there any water in the well.' " 

" No, sir." the old seaman cried, saluting: " and it's 
just been sounded. She's tight and dry, sir." 

" Rig the pumps, then, and get this fresh water over- 
board." 

In three minutes the steady " slish, slosh, click, clack " 
of the big pumps sounded throughout the ship, and the 
water from the springs of Pennsylvania poured out into 
the scuppers. Below, the carpenter and his crew could be 
heard assailing the stout ribs of the water casks. 

But the old frigate did not lift her nose a single inch, 
and now a new danger appeared. Bainbridge, following 
the pointing arm of a man on the forecastle, turned 
around, but it was only for an instant. He had seen 
enousfh, however. Out from the mouth of the harbor 
was pouring the Tripolitan fleet; their pointed, white 
sails — scores of them — gleamed in the sunlight. If the 
Philadelphia could not be wore off before they arrived 
within gunshot her chances were slim indeed. 

The majority of the crew on deck, hidden l)y the bul- 
warks, were ignorant of the new terror. 

'' Ask Mr. Porter to step here tiuickly," said Bain- 
bridge to one of the midshipmen; and at the same time 
he gave an order that to an inexperienced ear might have 
seemed a strange one under the circumstances. It was 
a desperate resort — nothing less than to cast overboard 
all the guns that could be loosened; and soon almost the 
entire starboard battery had been put over the side. 

The forward division on the port hand followed suit. 

'' Look there, Mr. Porter," said Bainbridge, nodding 
his head backward at the approaching fleet. " Cast loose 



I04 COMMODORE BAIXRRIDGE. 



and provide the stern chasers here, and run two of those 
heavy guns into my cal)in. Break out the stern gallery. 
There's where they will take position. Has she moved? " 

" Xot an inch, sir," replied Porter iirmly. " We'll 
have to fight for it." 

Suddenly the boom of a gun sounded — the leading 
Tripolitan had commenced firing! Before five minutes 
had passed four large gunboats had taken their station 
under the larboard quarter. Splinters now began to fiy, 
and the ripping and tearing aloft showed that the enemy's 
shot were crippling the yards and spars. Already three 
or four men, red and gory, had been carried below. The 
quarter-deck, on which Bainbridge was standing, was 
quivering from the discharge of the carronades that had 
been trundled into the cabin. Sulphur smoke was in the 
air, but the men were not cheering. They were fighting 
Vvith a sullen determination. 

A big boatswain's mate, serving one of the after guns, 
was standing u]:)right, motioning the men with the hand- 
spikes how to slue the ])iece. With the one hand he 
was tr\-ing to stop the How of blood from a great splinter 
wound in his breast. But before the piece could be fired 
the frigate gave a lurch, her bow rose a few feet higher 
on the sunken reef, and ilic brave sailor pitched head- 
long to ihe deck. 

"Help me to my pins! " he cried weaklw making frantic 
efforts to rise; bui ii was useless. Another pitch and the 
deck was al such an an^lc that even the able-bodied could 
scarcely kec]) their feel. But three guns now could be 
brought to bear, and the crushing sound of the Tripolitan 
broadsides became an uninterrupted roar. The balls were 
entering the hull from all directions. One came in the 
stern port, and, being dctlected, crossed to the other 
side and back again, as a billiard ball would boinul from 
the angles of a table. P>ut the doadlx splinters scattered 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 105 



ill its wake. Not a sign of fear, however, was to be ob- 
served among the crew, although three fourths of them 
could do nothing but stand idly by. 

"Cut away the foremast!" cried Bainbridgc, making 
a trumpet of his hands. 

With a crash the great pine timbers yielded to the 
strokes of the axes, and down came the towering sails, 
hampering the forward deck and covering the forecastle 
in a mass of billowing, fluttering canvas. 

The hull was almost on her broadside now, and the 
main-topgallant mast was cut away, but no relief was 
afforded. The fine vessel was a wreck, and, almost safe 
from her few guns, the enemy were pouring in their un- 
ceasing fire. 

Yet for an hour longer the frigate replied bravely. 

" No white feathers here," said Midshipman Biddle 
to his friend Gamble. And it was a fact. Not a single 
skulker was there in the Philadelphia's crew. 

" Word's been passed for the ofificers," said Gamble, 
pointing. 

There, under the shelter of the poop, for the quarter- 
deck was now swept by a murderous fire. Bainbridge, 
with his three lieutenants, and William Knight, the mas- 
ter, were in consultation. 

" I can not sacrifice the lives of my brave men longer," 
the captain said. " Gentlemen, I've done my best; for the 
cause of humanity we will have to strike." 

It w'as a cruel fate. To strike his country's flag to a 
civilized foe after a hard-fought battle would have been 
gall and vinegar to the commander's high-strung nature; 
but to yield to this uncivilized and barbarous enemy was 
humiliating. 

" Sir," said Porter, extending his hand. " we've all 
done our best, and we appreciate your feelings; but there 
is nothing for it." 



io6 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

The silence of the other officers made known their 
acquiescence. 

" Tell the carpenter to scuttle the ship," Bainbridge 
said calmly. " Overboard with the small arms, Air. Por- 
ter. See that the magazine is flooded — Mr. Jones, I am 
sorry, sir; haul down the flag! " 

The proud emblem came slowly to the deck, the car- 
ronades ceased their useless replying to the enemy's well- 
directed Are. An unearthly, discordant yell broke from 
the line of the barbarians. A few of the smaller craft, that 
had just sailed into range, discharged their guns with 
screams of triumph, much as cowardly savages would 
fling their darts into the helpless body of some great 
beast that the real hunters had dispatched at their peril. 

The men had been ordered to collect their dunnage 
and belongings; and to prevent a massacre, there was noth- 
ing to be done but to trust to the good temper of the vic- 
tors. The officers searched everywdiere for small arms, 
heaving them out of ports and over the bulwarks; this 
last operation was hardly completed before the tirst boat 
of the Tri])olitan fleet gained the side. \\\th shrill cries 
the dusky, turbaned Moslems swarmed aboard through 
the ports, and in an instant the ship was surrounded by 
the clamoring, screaming horde. 

The scene that followed almost passes description. 
The sailors had retreated to the forecastle, where they 
were gathered in a compact body, held only in check by 
the calm words of the officers scattered among them. 

" Steady, now. men." said Midshipman Biddle in an 
undertone; " make no resistance if you wish to saTe our 
lives." 

As he spoke the midshipman gazed with calm eyes 
into the face of a bearded, swarthy pirate, who flourished 
a sharp scimiter within an inch of his throat. The men 
in the front rank, following their officer's example, folded 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 107 

their arms and stood erect. Not a sound l)r(jke from 
them, except a few curses as they perceived that the Tri- 
poHtans were not going to respect the laws of private 
property. Ditty-boxes and bags were Ijroken into, and 
their contents scattered about and scrambled for on deck. 

Suddenly the frigate settled a little at the stern, and it 
was remembered that the carpenter had been ordered 
to let the water into her. Obeying the commands of one 
or two who seemed to be in authority, and kept in order 
by their own officers, the men clambered over the side 
on to the deck of one of the large gunboats that lay grind- 
ing against the rail. It was a good thing that they had 
left just at this moment, for had they stayed they would 
never have been able to stand calmly by and watch what 
happened on the quarter-deck. 

Bainbridge had been addressing in French and Italian 
the wild crowd that were looting the vessel, asking re- 
peatedly for their leader — for some one to whom he could 
surrender his sword and from whom he could claim pro- 
tection. But no one paid attention to him so intent were 
the fiends upon bringing everything of value up from 
below, for they feared that the ship might sink at any 
moment. The setting sun threw a red light across the 
scene. To leeward hung the white cloud of battle smoke, 
almost a mile distant by this time, and in the sharply de- 
fining rays the varied colors worn by the Tripolitans, 
shuffling and scampering on the main deck, stood out 
brightly, like the shifting tones of a kaleidoscope. 

All at once the hubbub ceased for an instant as if they 
had just caught a glimpse of the tall, broad-shouldered 
figure looking down upon them from the quarter-deck. 
His three lieutenants stood but a few paces behind him. 
with set faces and firmly compressed lips. A great, heavily 
turbaned pirate shouted something, and climbed up the 
steps of the quarter-deck followed by a half-score of others, 



io8 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

bearing their plunder underneath their arms, as if fearful 
of dropping it. Bainbridge advanced to meet the leader, 
extending the hilt of his sword as he did so. The cut- 
throat took it. 

"Dog of a Christian!" he cried, making a vicious 
thrust at the middle of the captain's body. The point 
struck the heavy belt plate and glanced harmlessly, and 
the man drew back. Bainbridge was standing there with 
his arms folded and a smile upon his lips. The corsair 
lowered his arm; then he pointed with his finger at the 
heavy pistol in the American's belt. It was handed over, 
and Bainbridge. a moment later, gazed unilinchingly into 
it as the scoundrel pointed it directly at his head. The 
pistol was lowered. 

Porter, w^ho was standing but a few feet away, was 
about to spring, but his commander caught the movement. 

"Steady, gentlemen!" he said; "your lives depend 
upon it. We must submit." 

Insolently the Tripolitan leader stretched forth his 
hand and lifted one of the heavy gold epaulets from the 
captain's shoulder. Then he took the other, and picked 
the jeweled pin from his neckcloth. The crowd gathered 
in the waist had become silent spectators of these goings 
on, and following the example of the swarthy villain, 
some of his crew were despoiling the lieutenants in the 
same way. Calmly they submitted to the removal of their 
coats and waistcoats, and. without a tremor, allowed 
themselves to be robbed of their heavy fobs and watches. 
Bainbridge's eyes were following every movement of the 
man who was submitting him to this indignity. His flash- 
ing eyes contradicted the calm, contemptuous sneer upon 
his lips. One thought had entered his mind — a thought 
that brought a sickening fear in its wake. Lying upon his 
breast, suspended by a thin gold chain around his neck, 
was a miniature of Susan, his wife. Would he be able to 




The niiiiiatuic of Mrs. Daiiibriiltre. 

From ihc original, now in possession of the /amily. 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 109 



stand calmly and watch it torn from him by those dirty, 
blood-stained hands? All at once the gleam of the gold 
chain caught the eye of the robber. With a swift motion 
he tore the soft linen shirt open at the throat. There 
lay the miniature, the calmly smiling face of a woman, 
in a white, high-waisted gown. With a greedy cry he 
reached for it, but his eager fingers never touched the 
shining gold. With a roar like a cornered beast that 
counts no odds, Bainbridge seized him by the throat. As 
he stood there no one could have failed to notice the 
tremendous muscles plain to view, but no one would have 
supposed that human arms possessed such strength. As 
one might beat a garment against a post to relieve it of 
clinging dust — yes, like a bundle of rags — he picked up 
that swarthy infidel and dashed him down against the 
rail. The man's skull cracked like an egg, and he fell 
limply dow-n upon the heads of the crowd below. 

Porter and Jones and Lieutenant Hunt sprang for- 
w^ard. but before they could gain their captain's side they 
were pinioned hard and fast. Bainbridge stood there pant- 
ing. Some one fired a pistol at him at point-blank range, 
but. owing probably to the jostling of the crowd, the ball 
missed its mark. With a cry of rage five or six of the cor- 
sairs made at him. He felled the first one with a blow from 
his great list, but they swarmed upon him almost too 
closely intertwined to draw their daggers. Again he strug- 
gled to his feet. With a mighty effort he grasped one of his 
assailants by his heavy cloth belt and whirled him over- 
board into the sea. Again they closed upon him. Their 
object now was to gain possession of the gleaming 
miniature. They had him down more than once, but 
could not force it from his grasp, although his fingers 
were torn and cut. It seemed to be ages that he strug- 
gled as if gifted with the strength of more than a dozen 
men. Time and again he rose to his knees only to be 



no COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

hauled down, like a fighting bull, by a pack of hungry 
wolves. For the fourth time he managed to stand erect 
and get his back against the rail. Unarmed, except in his 
magnificent strength, he stood there like a warrior of the 
stone age. The corsairs were almost awed at the sight 
of this man and the fight they had witnessed. 

But a commotion suddenly began among those who 
had stood aloof as if waiting to see what the result w^ould 
be. A handsomely dressed figure, in a briliant red tunic 
and silk scarf, was calling out to the others to make way 
for him. He gained the deck, and thrusting back the 
discomfited villains, he approached Bainbridge. The lat- 
ter gathered himself as if for an onslaught, but the Moor 
bowed low before him, and turning so as to confront the 
others, he drew a long jewel-hilted pistol. No remon- 
strance was made to this action, and with great relief 
the officers, who had been almost weeping at their in- 
ability to help their leader, saw that here was one who 
held authority. 

Calling again for a passagew^ay to be cleared, he beck- 
oned for the prisoners to follow him. Bainbridge. with 
the miniature still tightly grasped in his hand, almost 
breathless from the fearful struggle, motioned the other 
officers to precede him. Shorn of everything but his 
glory, he was the last to leave his ship. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

It was ten o'clock at night, some six hours after the 
surrender of the Philadelphia, that the prisoners were 
landed near the Bashaw's castle just as they were, ex- 
cept that the Tripolitan officer, who had saved Bain- 
bridcie, secured for him a makeshift suit of clothes. Thev 
were taken into the Bashaw's presence, where he sat in 
his audience hall on his divan, surrounded by his richly 
uniformed guards. 

After having been subjected to a rigid cross-examina- 
tion, and having replied to numerous questions, the party 
of officers were conducted to another apartment where 
a supper was served to them. At midnight they were 
taken back to the hall again and found that they had been 
placed in charge of the Minister of State, Sidi Mohammed 
Dgheis. This official proved to be a fine, dignified man 
of commanding presence, who was well acquainted with 
European manners and customs, and from the outset he 
not only enlisted the respect of his prisoners, but ap- 
peared anxious to do anything he could to serve them. 
He spoke excellent French, and informed them in the 
first words he spoke that he hoped to make their stay 
as little of a hardship as possible, and trusted on their 
word, if they would give it him. not to escape while under 
his immediate charge. Scarcely waiting for an answer, 
he dismissed the guard and bade them follow him. As he 
conducted them through the town, he told them that they 

were bound for the late American consul's house, which 

III 



112 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

had been assigned to them as a temporary prison. Upon 
their arrival they found that the kind Tripolitan had 
also secured for them the clothing of which they had 
been despoiled — all but the epaulets and some of the orna- 
mentation. He bade them good night after doing all he 
could for their comfort. 

Poor Bainbridge was much depressed in spirit. He 
grieved at the loss of the new and beautiful frigate, and 
was apprehensive that his countrymen might censure him 
before the true cause of the disaster could be explained. 
There was one thing, however, that gave him comfort — 
it w^as the locket which he still wore upon his breast, and 
for which he would have laid down his life. 

The next morning, not long after breakfast. Lieu- 
tenant Porter appeared at the captain's door. 

" The compliments of the Philadelphia's officers to 
Captain Bainbridge," he said. " They beg that he will 
accept this paper which w^as prepared for his perusal." 

Bainbridge opened it and read as follows: 

Tripoli, November /, i8oj. 

"Sir: We. late officers of the United States frigate 
Philadelphia, under your commaml, wish to express our 
full ai)probation of your conduct concerning the unfor- 
tunate event of yesterday, ami do conceive that the 
charts and soundings justified as near an approach to the 
shore as we made; and that, after she struck, every ex- 
pedient was tried to get her oft' and to defend her which 
either courage or abilities could have dictated. 

" We wish to add that in this instance, as well as in 
every other, since we have had the honor of being under 
your command, the officers and seamen have always ap- 
preciated your distinguished conduct. l^)elievc us. sir. that 
our misfortunes and sorrows are entirely absorbed in our 
sympathies for you. We are, sir, with sentiments of the 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 113 



highest and most sincere respect, your friends and fellow 
sufiferers." 

This paper was signed by all the lieutenants, midship- 
men, officers, and petty officers from William Godley, 
the carpenter, to \\'illiam Adams, the captain's clerk — 
twenty-seven signatures being appended. 

But shortly after Bainbridge had received this letter, 
which caused him almost to break down, because of its 
kindness and honest feeling, the Minister of State was an- 
nounced. With him was Mr. N. C. Nissen, whom he in- 
troduced to Bainl)ridge as his particular friend. Mr. 
Nissen was the Danish consul, and Sidi ^vlohammed took 
the opportunity to say he was the only consul in Tripoli 
for whom he had the least respect. 

The Dane expressed great sympathy for Bainbridge 
in his misfortunes, and the American captain saw at a 
glance that he was a friend worth keeping. Mr. Nissen's 
manner satisfied all of the American officers that he was 
w^ell entitled to the esteem that had been expressed for 
him by the Tripolitan minister. As soon as he had de- 
parted, Bainbridge asked for pen, ink, and paper, and, 
sitting down at the little table, the only bit of furniture 
the room possessed, he wrote the following letter to his 
wife, even before he indited the official notice he intended 
sendins: to Commodore Preble and to the Secretarv of the 
Navy. Although the epistle is entirely personal in its 
character, it is well worth while to give it place here, and 
thus it appears, a true and authentic copy: 

Tripoli, N en.' ember i, 1803. 
My dear Susan : With feelino^s of distress which I can not describe, 
I have to inform you that I have lost the beautiful frig-ate which was 
placed under my command by running her afoul of rocks, a few miles 
to the east of this harbor, which are not marked on the charts. After 
defending her as long as a ray of hope remained, I was obliged to sur- 
render, and am now, with my officers and crew, confined in a prison in 



114 COMMODORE BAIX BRIDGE. 

this place. I inclose to you a copy of my official letter to the Secretary 
of the Navy, from which you will learn all the circumstances in detail 
connected with our capture. 

My anxiety and affliction does not arise from my confinement and dep- 
rivations in prison — these, indeed, I could bear if ten times more severe 
— but is caused by my absence, which may be a protracted one, from my 
dearly beloved Susan, and an apprehension, which constantly haunts me, 
that I may be censured by my countrymen. These impressions, which 
are seldom absent from my mind, act as a corroding canker at my heart. 
So maddened am I sometimes by the workings of my imagination that I 
can not refrain from exclaiming that it would have been a merciful dis- 
pensation of Providence if my head had been shot off by the enemy while 
our vessel lay rolling on the rocks. 

You now see, my beloved wife, the cause of my distress. My situation 
in prison is entirely supportable ; I have found here kind and generous 
friends, such as I hope the virtuous will meet in all situations ; but if my 
professional character be blotched ; if an attempt be made to taint my 
honor; if I am censured; if it does not kill nie — it will at least deprive 
me of the power of looking any of my race in the face, always excepting, 
however, my young, kind, and sympathizing wife. If the world desert 
me, I am sure to find a welcome in her affection — to receive the support 
and condolence which none others can give. 

I can not tell why I am so oppressed with apprehension. I am sure I 
acted accordmg to my best judgment. My officers tell me that mv con- 
duct was faultless, that no one, indeed, could have done better; but this I 
attribute (perhaps in my weakness) to a generous wish on their part to 
sustain me in my affliction. 

I hope soon to hear that your health is good, and that you, although 
grieved at my misfortune, are yet surrounded by dear and condoling 
friends, who will in some measure assuage your affliction. Perhaps, too, 
you will be able to tell me that I have done injustice to my countnmen — 
that so far from censuring, they sympathize, and some even applaud me. 
God grant that this may be the case— why should it not ? The Americans 
are generous as they are brave. I must stop, my dear wife, for I see I 
am disclosing my weakness ; these are the mere reveries which daily 
pass through my heated brain. 

I beg you will not suppose our imprisonment is attended with suffer- 
ing ; on the contrary, it is, as I have already assured you, quite a sup- 
portable state. Your ever faithful and affectionate husband, 

William BAiximiDGE. 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



115 



Through the influence of Mr. Nissen, Bainbridge suc- 
ceeded in getting all of his letters on board an out-bound 
vessel, and also sent a long communication addressed to 
Commodore Preble. 

Bainbridge had stated his position rightly when he 
said that his stay in captivity promised not to be so much 
of a hardship as might be expected; Mr. Nissen had 
brought bedding, furniture, and all sorts of useful house- 
hold articles to the place where the officers were confined, 
and he also brought word that the crew were in prison in 
a well-ventilated quarter of the castle. Said he. in refer- 
ring to the Tripolitans: 

" Although these people live by piracy, and have little 
or no legitimate trade, those high in authority have had 
intercourse with Christian and civilized nations, and have 




Port of Tripoli. 



dropped many of the attributes of the barbarian. Sidi 
Mohammed D'Ghiers is a man of fine character and ster- 
ling worth. You can trust in him implicitly." 

Before a week had gone by time bore most heavily 
upon the hands of the captured officers; but one day 



ii6 COMMODORE BAINRRI DCrE. 

Nissen was announced, and looking out past their garden 
entrance, the officers saw that a donkey, with two large 
crates strapped on his back, was evidently waiting there 
to be unloaded. What was the delight of all hands when 
they ascertained that the load was nothing less than all 
of their books and a great deal of personal property which 
the Danish consul had purchased for a small sum at a sale 
of plunder taken from the Philadelphia. He was hailed 
with cheers, and. although he at first demurred, he was 
at once reimbursed for his expenditure. 

\\'hen Bainbridge and he found a chance to speak 
together alone, the following conversation took place: 

" Of course it is to be expected," began ]\lr. Nissen, 
" that any correspondence carried on between you and 
Commodore Preble will be visccd by the Tripolitan minis- 
ter. I remember hearing a long time ago, when I was in 
France, a very interesting thing. You know a writing 
fiuid may be prepared which is entirely invisible until the 
paper has been subjected to heat. The recipe for making 
this fluid, if I remember rightly, is something like this; 
in fact, 1 am quite sure this is correct." 

With that he detailed a simple formula which Bain- 
bridge copied, and put it to good use afterward, as will 
be proved. 

It nuist not be thought that any degree of authority 
or discii)liiie had been lost because of the fact that the 
life and routine of shipboard had been exchanged for the 
monotony of prison existence. The same discipline and 
respect was maintained, and. as soon as the books had 
arrived, the midshipmen resumed their studies under the 
direction of the officers. Cdasses in l-'rench and Spanish, 
history, navigation, and mathematics went on as they 
had on board shij). It was rather a remarkable fact that 
the majority of all those living together at the American 
consul's house were extremely young men, Ijut one of the 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 117 



officers being above thirty years of age. The midshipmen, 
with one or two exceptions, were hardly more than boys. 
But the principles of honor and high sense of duty which 
they imbibed by contact with these young men, their 
leaders, counted for more than the habits of study which 
w'ere rigidly enforced. 

On the tenth day, wdiile Bainbridge was exercising 
in the little courtyard surrounded by the high white wall, 
a messenger appeared with orders from the Bashaw for 
him to appear at once at the vice-regal palace, in order 
to talk with the regent upon a matter of vital interest. 
The Bashaw was a man very different in character and 
personality from Sidi Mohammed. He was evidently 
angry at something, for he scarcely waited for Bainbridge 
to be seated before beginning upon the subject. 

" I have here," he said, " letters from the commander 
of one of my ships, the Messurre, complaining most bitter- 
ly of the treatment he has received from your Captain 
Chauncey, of the frigate John Adams. We have treated 
you kindly : we have given you of the best of the land, in 
order to prove that we are different from what we are 
held to be in the opinions of European nations. But this 
can not be forgotten. Any ill treatment of my subjects 
shall be retaliated upon the heads of you and your offi- 
cers." 

Bainbridge did not reply, for he saw that this was not 
all of the interview, and he knew that there was some 
reason other than this for his having been ordered to l)e 
present. There was to be a condition. 

" If," continued the Bashaw. " you will write at once, 
before that shadow yonder has reached that spot near my 
hand, a letter to your Commodore Preble, asking him to 
release the prisoners from Tripoli. I will allow you to stay 
in your present place of confinement. If yon do not, it 
will go hard with you. What have you to say? " 



ii8 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

" Only this," Bainljridge replied: " I can not believe 
that the information you received is correct. It is the 
practice of Americans to treat prisoners with kindness 
and mao;-nanimitv and never with crueltv. In re<7ard to 
the subjects of your Royal Highness, when our squadron 
lay in the Bay of Gibraltar I saw with my own eyes one 
of your captains visiting on familiar terms the officers of 
the various ships in company with the officers of the 
vessel in which he was supposed to be confined/' 

" You will not, then, write the letter? " asked the 
Bashaw threateningly. 

" I can not write what you demand, for the reason 
that Commodore Preble is my senior." answered Bain- 
bridge; " and besides this, my advice is useless, because 
by becoming your prisoner I have lost my rank and 
power." 

" Have you any objections to stating the substance of 
our conversation in a report to the commander of the 
squadron? " 

" None in the least," Bainbridge answered. And tak- 
ing up pen and paper, he wrote for a few minutes and 
read aloud what he had written. This ended the meet- 
ing, and under guard he was sent back to join the 
officers, who were anxiously waiting to hear what had 
resulted. 

In regard to what the Bashaw intended to do. Bain- 
bridge could say nothing; but they were not long kept 
in ignorance, for within tlic hour a commotion was heard 
in front of the little building, a door to which had only 
been guarded by three armed men, two on the doorstep 
and one at the gate leading into the courtyard; but now 
one of the midshipmen came running down the stairway 
and knocked on the door of the room in which the officers 
were holding their conference. Porter arose hastily and 
opened it. 



COMMODORE DAI MiRIDGE. 119 



" The courtyard is full of soldiers heavily armed and 
bearing torches," said the middy. 

" Surely thev can not intend to turn us out at such 
short notice," grumbled Lieutenant Hunt. 

" I suspect strongly, gentlemen," put in Bainbridge, 
" that such is their intention. At all events, the Bashaw 
has decided that we have been altogether too comfort- 
able, and now intends to move us." 

A noise in the hallway brought every one to his feet. 
The heavy door was unlocked, and a number of Tripolitan 
olflcers were seen standing there in consultation. Beyond 
them the startled Americans could see the courtyard filled 
with the swarthy-faced soldiery, and against the blackness 
of the night the torches flickered weirdly. Towering 
shadows wavered to and fro on the walls of the court- 
yard. 

" What is the meaning of this? " Bainbridge in- 
quired. 

" We had come," answered the ofTicer, " to escort you 
and your companions to a different place of confinement ; 
but we have just received another order countermand- 
ing the first, and stating that your quarters will not be 
moved until to-morrow morning at nine o'clock, so I bid 
you prepare for departure." 

Plainly this last message had been delivered just in 
time to prevent the discomfort of a hasty change of base. 
As it turned out afterward, it was the result of the inter- 
cession of Sidi Mohammed D'Ghiers. who objected bravely 
to the Bashaw's sudden determination. 

By nine o'clock the next morning the courtyard was 
again filled with soldiers under the command of the same 
officer who had reported the night before; but the prison- 
ers were ready, each with his belongings done up in a 
bag or basket, and it was with a great deal of sorrow that 
they bade farewell to their comfortable quarters and set 



I20 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

out through the narrow, dirty streets, bound for what they 
knew not. 

They were not taken on the mcst direct route, but 
marched and countermarched through the lower portion 
of the town, much to the delight of the crowds through 
which their guards had difficulty in forcing their way. At 
last their prison dawned in sight — a low whitewashed 
building made of heavy stones and mortar, a filthy place 
that had been used by generations for smoking hides and 
for confining refractory or runaway slaves. 

The officers were crowded into three rooms on the 
north side of the courtyard that had small grated windows 
opening on the well-guarded sea wall. On the opposite 
side of the open space were the large cells in which the 
crew of the Philadelphia were imprisoned. The brave 
lads, when they saw that their officers had come to join 
them, broke out into a cheer as the party marched through 
the yard. 

The quarters that Bainbridge and the rest found un- 
prepared for them possessed no accommodations fit to 
make life bearable. The heavy doors were shut upon 
them and they sat down upon the damp stone floor. 
Hours went l)y. Xo one came to see them. Not a drop 
of water nor a bit of food had passed theii lips. About 
five o'clock in the afternoon they managed to communi- 
cate their distress to the crew confined across the way. 
and tlie loyal Jack tars bribed one of their own keepers 
to bring over a portion of their scant evening meal — lilack 
bread and water with a small cruse of olive oil. which 
was the food of the lower order of .Mgerine slaves and 
laborers. 

P)efore it was dusk there came a clanging at the door, 
bolts from the outside were dropped, and a strange-look- 
ing figure entered. It was a man clad in the loose-flowing 
garments of the Tripolitan sailor, with turban and turned- 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 121 

up slippers, but his face had none of the darkness of skin; 
it was red and mottled, and the chin was overgrown with 
a thin beard of wiry red. His first words created more 
of a sensation than did his remarkable appearance. 

" W'eel. weel. and here's where ye are noo! Is Cap- 
tain Bainbridge here? " 

" I am Captain Bainbridge," said a voice from the 
corner; '* and may I ask whom I have the honor of ad- 
dressing? " 

" Admiral Lisle, of the Tripolitan navy, is my name. 
Hoot, mon, but this is nae place for the confinement of 
officers and gentlemen! " 

" We are not here by our own choice." answered Bain- 
bridge. " and we are very willing to exchange it for any- 
thing better, for in fact we could not be treated to a 
worse fate than be left here where we are." 

" It may be summat of your ain fault," the odd-look- 
ing admiral replied, winking his little Scotch eyes know^- 
ingly. 

" May I ask you to explain yourself, sir? " 

" Wha don't you accede to the wishes of the Bashaw? 
'Tis naught he demands but a little scribbling on a bit of 
paper that will do ye no harm to write for him. You're 
daft, mon. not to do it." 

" You'll pardon me," interposed Bainbridge. " I have 
not the least idea how great is your knowledge upon the 
subject of which you speak; but mark you this: the 
Bashaw can torture me; he can lop off my head; but 
there is one thing that he can not do: he can not force 
me to commit an act that is incompatible with the honor 
of an American officer. If this is the object of your visit 
to us, I can only say that you will obtain neither satisfac- 
tion nor promises. If it is an answer you demand, you 
have it." 

The " admiral " appeared to be somewhat confused at 
9 



122 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 



the force with which Bainbridge had uttered the last 
words, and he mumbled something inarticulate as he 
backed out of the doorway. Xo sooner had he disap- 
peared than Porter. Jones, and Hunt grasped Bainbridge's 
hand in turn. Without a word he understood that these 
men felt as he did; no explanation was necessary and 
none was offered. 

Darkness came on. Just before midnight the door to 
their prison was again opened, and there stood the same 
guard that had escorted them thither in the morning. 

" Follow us," said one of the officers. And forming a 
column of twos, the prisoners marched out into the night. 
taking their dunnage with them. 

This time they were not marched through the by- 
streets, and in less than a quarter of an hour they found 
themselves back once more at the house that had be- 
lonsfed to the American consul before the outbreak of 
hostilities. Now Bainbridge. to his delight, found that 
his first missive had reached Commodore Preble, for in 
charjre of Air. Xissen an answer was received, and. bv 
means of the sympathetic ink. communication was estab- 
lished, the Danish consul sending the epistle to his 
confrere at Malta, and by this latter gentleman they 
were forwarded to the commander of the American squad- 
ron. 

It had been fountl necessary to resort to this means. 
as the Bashaw subjected all communications to a rigid 
inspection and kept copies of all the correspondence. 

A month went by. School was resumed, but the con- 
finement was beginning to tell upon the spirits of the 
officers, although thcv were well foil and comfortablv 
housed. 

With the crew who were in the same loathsome dun- 
geon that they had been at first thrown into, affairs were 
going very hard indeed. They were not used to the food, 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 123 

and sickness had begun among them. Bainbridge and his 
officers had not been permitted to hold intercourse with 
them, and knew nothing of their condition, only having 
been informed that they were kept employed at their 
trades if they had any — those who possessed none work- 
ing upon the fortifications. 

From an upper window of their house, which was near 
the water front, a glimpse of the harbor could be obtained; 
and occasionally the captain or one of his lieutenants had 
been allowed to stroll along the ramparts in charge of a 
small guard. Bainbridge had looked many times with 
deep sorrow at the Philadelphia, his fine old ship, as she 
lay there well protected by the guns of the castle, her- 
self a great adjunct to the protection of the town, for 
her guns had been fished up and replaced on her decks. 
He regretted more than once that he had not pro- 
ceeded to extreme measures and, instead of scuttling 
her, set her on fire when he had seen that her defense was 
useless. 

He returned from one of these walks that he had taken 
on the 5th of December, elated with an idea that had 
entered his mind. It was one that would require immedi- 
ate co-operation of Preble and the squadron, and de- 
manded great intrepidity and daring for its successful 
accomplishment; but brave and adventurous spirits he 
knew were not lacking. He could have called the names 
of a half dozen young men now with the commodore to 
whom he would intrust the leadership. 

He had noticed that all of the enemy's gunboats were 
hauled up on shore, and that, owing to the transfer of 
guns, the small crescent-shaped battery was almost in 
a dismantled condition. Dipping his pen into the invisible 
ink, he wrote the following letter, sending it to Preble 
through the usual channels. It does not detract from the 
glory of any one subsequently connected with the under- 



124 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



taking to publish this epistle; it merely places the honor 
of originating the plan where it assuredly belongs. Writes 
Bainbridge under date of the 5th: 

" Charter a small merchant schooner, fill her with men. 
and have her commanded by fearless and determined 
officers. Let the vessel enter the harbor at night, with 
her men secreted below decks. Steer her directly on board 
the frigfate, and then the officers and men board, sword in 
hand, and there is not a doubt of their success and with- 
out very heavy loss. It would be necessary to take sev- 
eral good rowboats in order to facilitate the retreat after 
the enterprise had been accomplished. The frigate in 
her present condition is a powerful auxiliary battery for 
the defense of the harbor. Though it will be impossible 
to remove her from her anchorage, and thus restore this 
beautiful vessel to our navy. yet. as she may. and no 
doubt will be repaired, an important end will be gained 
by her destruction." 

Upon receiving this conmumication Commodore 
Preble called a council of his officers, and by the earliest 
opportunity he wrote an answer to Captain Bainbridge 
informing him that preparations were being made to carry 
out the plans as he suggested, and that his friend. Lieu- 
tenant Stephen Decatur, had volunteered to command 
the expedition. 

Time went on and yet nothing was done. The winter 
passed and a new year began. X'arious schemes were 
proposed for the destruction of Tripoli. Bainbridge stating 
in a letter to Preble that he thought the landing of four 
or fi\e thousand troops would result in the taking oi the 
town. P.ut affairs looked very dark. Hearing of the 
condition of the crew. Bainbridge petitioned the Bashaw 
to allow him to do something to help to make their life 
more bearable, and again, through the kind offices of Sidi 
Mohannned Dyheis. clothing and mure sustaining food 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 125 



Avere allowed to be sent in to them from the American 
squadron. 

Mr. Nissen continued to lend his assistance, and thus 
cemented the friendship that had begun during the early 
days of captivity. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

The Mohammedans are a peculiarly religious people. 
They observe the festivals of their sect with the greatest 
care 'and faithfulness, and it happens that once a year 
there comes a period of thirty days which is known as 
the feast of Ramadan. It is a period of religious ab- 
stinence, during which the good Mohammedan imposes 
upon himself moral and physical restraint to an extreme 
degree. He is compelled by his creed to kindly thoughts 
and deeds, such as hospitality to strangers and charity to 
bitterest enemies. 

During the day little or no food is partaken of between 
sunrise and sunset; but in tb.e night season, it may be 
remarked, they make up for a great deal of lost time. At 
the end of this month of dailv fastins: and nijjhtlv feast- 
ing there comes the Biarian festival, which amounts to a 
period of gorging and rejoicing covering from three to 
six days. 

From the lowest household in its mud-wall hut to the 
Bashaw in his palace all hands turn to and enjoy them- 
selves. 

On this occasion Bainbridge and Lieutenant Porter 
were invited to the Bashaw's residence, where they were 
treated as guests of honor and received with Eastern 
civilities. They also attended a feast of the Prime Minis- 
ter, who was a Russian by birth, although he had lived 
for a long time in Tri])oli. The largest ceremony they 

attended, however, and one that exceeded in point of 

126 



COMMODORE RAIXBRIDGE. 127 



splendor all the others, was a dinner, or better, banquet, 
at the residence of their good friend Sidi Mohammed 
D'Ghiers, Minister of State. Through his intercession 
also, permission had been obtained for the officers under a 
small guard, and on their parole of honor, to ride a few 
miles back into the country. It was a great relief to them 
to secure these outings, but it made their confinement 
perhaps the harder to bear. Yet what they were then 
undergoing was nothing compared to that held in store 
for them. 

One day in the early part of the month Porter and 
Lieutenant Hunt, astride of two small mules, had ridden 
out beyond the walls of the city. Two armed janizaries 
accompanied them, but kept at a respectful distance. 
It was a fine warm morning, and a breeze that blew from 
the north rustled the branches of the trees. It was a 
beautiful sight. On all sides were the barley and wheat 
fields, with their waving grain; the groves of dates, of 
olive and of fig trees; the orchards of lemon, orange, 
apricot, and peach; the well-kept gardens that surrounded 
the country houses of the wealthy. They could scarcely 
imagine themselves prisoners, although they knew at any 
time thcv misfht exchange all this for close confinement 
and blank dungeon walls. 

All at once they turned about a corner of a lane, and 
there, at about a half mile's distance, they could see the 
blue waters of the Mediterranean. The officers had no 
idea that they had been so close to the sea, and they 
halted a minute to observe the beautiful effect made by 
this vivid patch of blue inclosed by the green frame of 
the arching trees. 

" It is almost enough to incline one to turn Turk and 
settle down here forever," said Lieutenant Hunt with 
a si£:h. 

Well, it appears that we shall most probably stay 






128 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

here for some time to come," answered Porter. " Not a 
movement yet from our tieet, and Preble is not a man to 
hesitate or to put ofY action. In my opinion something 
will be done soon that will relieve us from our position 
of uncertainty at least.'" 

" Well, Pd Hke to know where he is and what he's 
doing," Hunt remarked, loosening his long legs from the 
stirrups. *' This is all very tine, but Pd just like to know. 
You see By jove! " he exclaimed, suddenly inter- 
rupting himself. " look down there, man. straight ahead." 

Porter followed his glance. In the little space inclosed 
by the green frame was a fine, large ship, with all sails 
spread, sailing to the westward. She was less than two 
miles from shore. 

" The Constitution! " exclaimed Porter. " I know her 
by her lofty rig." 

" Ay, and here comes another," interposed Hunt. 
" The Nautilus, I take it." 

Yes, there they were, three or four now. seen all at 
once, and on they came until they had passed by. 

When the officers arrived that evening at the little 
house with the heavily barred windows they had a story 
to tell. 

Preble was in the ofting! And the next day this was 
confirmed, for Xissen called to see them and brought them 
word. But nothinu- out of the ordinarv occurred. What 
was Preble doing? 

On the 15th of February, about midnight. Bainbridge 
awakened with a start. There was no mistake, that was 
the sound of a heavy cannon! Then another boom, and 
a distant rattle of musketry and a roar of firing arose 
from the direction of the harbor. 

From the little window upstairs in the room where 
the niidshi])men slept a glimpse of the waters inside the 
mole could be obtained, and it happened by luck that 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



129 



very often as she swung at her anchor the captured 
frigate occupied this very space, a tantalizing sight to 
the eyes of the prisoners. 

Bainbridge had hardly reached the door when he heard 
a shrill, boyish cheer from the " steerage," as the middys 
called their dormitory. 

'• The Philadelphia is on fire! The Philadelphia is on 
fire! " cried young Reefer Biddle, who, in scanty attire, was 
leaning over the stairway. 

Way was made for the ofificers at the window, and soon 
Bainbridge was standing there observing with great satis- 




B, position of the Philadelphia ; the dotted line shows the course of the 
' boarding vessel. 



faction the red glare, growing and growing, until he could 
make out the outlines of his vessel and see the flames 
pouring from her ports. She was swinging at her cables, 
and gradually she worked around until the hull was hidden 
by the neighboring houses and nothing but the glare 
in the sky showed that she was blazing merrily. 

Suddenly there came the roar of a tremendous ex- 



I30 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

plosion. Bright flying sparks like rockets were hurled 
into the air, and when they had fallen the glare had dis- 
appeared. 

"The end!" said Bainbridge calmly, turning to the 
officers. " Who do you suppose did that? " 

He knew himself, of course, but he wished to see what 
they would say. 

" Stephen Decatur! " exclaimed a small midshipman 
involuntarily, clapping his fist to his mouth after he had 
spoken, as a bashful schoolgirl might. 

" Perhaps it was Somers," ventured one of the lieu- 
tenants. 

'' ]\Ir. Gamble was right," remarked Bainbridge; " it 
was Stephen Decatur, unless I am much mistaken, and 
God help and save him and all the brave men who as- 
sisted him." 

" Amen! " said the rest in chorus. 

This is not the place to tell of this successful expedi- 
tion, for it belongs to another story; but the fact remains 
that Stephen Decatur, accompanied by Lieutenants James 
Lawrence, Joseph Bainbridge, Midshipman Charles Mor- 
ris, and seventy fine seamen, had carried out Bainbridge's 
plan to the letter. They had sailed in in a large ketch, 
and had war])C(l themselves alongside the Philadelphia. 
They boarded her, cutlas in hand, and set fire to her. 
and escaped without the loss of a single man and with but 
four of their number wounded! 

The next morning Nissen hastened to see his friends. 
Although he could not but reflect their elation that 
was so evident, his face was clouded with a look of 
worry. 

" The Bashaw's in a frightful rage," said he, " and will 
wreak his venoeancc somewhere. I fear that he will vent 
it upon you. He would not have lost that ship for any- 
thing in the kingdom. I trust, my dear friends, that 




O 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



you will not suffer. I am going to see Sidi Mohammed 
to-day and find out how affairs now stand." 

No notice was apparently taken of the action, how- 
ever, except that the presents of fruit and fresh eatables 
now suddenly ceased, and affairs went on much as usual 
until there came a most momentous day, the ist of 
]\Iarch, two weeks after the destruction of the frigate. 

Then, without warning, the officers were informed that 
thev were about to be moved to another prison, and by 
twelve o'clock they had begun the uncomfortable march 
through the crowded streets of the town. The Bashaw- 
had at last found a place to his liking in which to incar- 
cerate them. It was a horribly damp and cold apart- 
ment, whose only aperture was a small window^ well above 
the height of a man's head and grated with strong iron 
bars. It was to be their home for fourteen weary months. 
They were even denied the privilege that the crew of the 
Philadelphia were given — that of exercise in the open 
air — for the Bashaw was employing the prisoners upon 
the works and fortifications that he was pushing to a 
close. 

Of course plans for escaping from their prison were in- 
dulged in almost without end. Nissen succeeded, with 
a great deal of difficulty, in gaining access to them, and 
smuggled out a letter destined for the squadron then cruis- 
ing off the mouth of the harbor, for the blockade of the 
port was now^ rigidly enforced. 

All regular communication between the prisoners and 
the outside world was interdicted by the Bashaw's orders: 
but the letter to Commodore Preble proposed that he 
should send into the harbor on a certain night five fast 
rowing boats, if (and it was a very big " if " indeed) the 
prisoners should succeed in digging their way under the 
castle to the bottom of the sea wall. The tunnel was 
begun, but before it progressed very far it was found 



132 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 



that the entrance of it would be beneath the surface of 
the water, and the idea had to be abandoned. 

Sentinels had been placed along the sea wall and the 
shore for several miles on either side of the city, and it 
would have been impossible for boats to have rowed into 
the harbor without being observed and subjected to a 
destructive fire. 

One dreary night, as Bainbridge and Porter and Lieu- 
tenants Hunt and Smith lay talking together in low 
whispers. Lieutenant Jones crawled over to them. 

" I've been thinking, gentlemen." he observed, mak- 
ing his way into the center of the group, " that it might 
be possible to explore the adjoining apartment here on 
our port hand. We may find a window unbarred, or some 
way by which we can reach the sea wall, and lower our- 
selves to the ramparts." 

" It will do no harm at least to try," said Bainbridge, 
knowing tliat it would give employment if nothing else, 
and keep their minds from dwelling upon their un- 
fortunate situation. So the next dav the prisoners 
were told off into watches, and systematic work was 
begun. 

With the aid of some hoop iron and one knife, the 
mortar was removed from several lartre stones in the side 
of the room; but every day it had to be replaced, or at 
least made to appear all right when their prison was in- 
spected. Behind the stones they found that the space had 
been filled in with earth, loosely mixed with mortar, and 
all this had to be remoxod carefully in order to hide 
traces of their work. .\t last, however, there was nothing 
to be done but thrust out a few bricks on the opposite 
side to make an entrance into the neighboring apart- 
ment. By careful listening they had determined that it 
was unoccupied. One mooidight night the stones were 
removed, and b}" means of a few well-directed kicks a 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 133 

hole was made large enough for a man to work his body 
through. 

Bainbridue and two of the lieutenants made the lirst 
reconnoissance. It was a large open space in the extreme 
wing of the prison. The roof had partly fallen in, and way 
above their heads was a small window. Standing upon 
the shoulders of Lieutenant Porter, Jones managed to 
work his way up to it. As soon as he reached the grat- 
ing he uttered an exclamation of delight; the bars were 
loose, and with a little manipulation he declared that 
they would fetch away. The window looked down ujjon 
the top of the rampart at an angle where a few heavy 
guns pointed out over the harbor, but it was a drop of 
forty feet to the water's edge, and fully fifteen from the 
window to the ground outside. 

As nothing could be done that night, they again re- 
turned to their companions and blocked up the pas- 
sageway. 

Now the following plan was formed: A long rope was 
plaited out of their blankets, and it was arranged that the 
strongest swimmers should make their way into the next 
room, climb to the window, descend to the ramparts, and 
lower themselves down to the water's edge. Once there, 
they were to swim ofif to a small boat that was anchored 
about a (juarter of a mile from shore, take possession of 
her, and trust to luck to escape to the squadron. 

. The scheme necessitated leaving some of their number 
behind. Bainbridge was not a good swimmer, and al- 
though Hunt and Jones promised to take care of him in 
the water, he determined to remain and share the fate 
of the unfortunates. 

One dark night silent farewells were taken, and a 
party of twelve, dressed only in their shirts and trousers, 
in order the better to facilitate their movements, crawled 
through the aperture. In less than an hour a scratching 



134 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

was heard upon the opposite wall; the stones were again 
withdrawn, and they filed back again. They reported 
that everything had gone well until the very last minute, 
when, just as they were about making the line fast to one 
^ oi the guns in order that they might lower themselves to 
the water, the relief of the guard approached and they had 
to give up the plan. 

It was a fortunate thing that they had been forced 
to return, as the vessel to which they had intended swim- 
ming, had changed her anchorage, and all might have been 
drowned or shot by the sentries if they had attempted to 
land. 

This was only one of numerous and repeated failures. 
Upon one occasion they had undermined the rampart and 
entered a large vault, but in doing so they had weakened 
the supports so that the whole affair caved in beneath the 
weight of a heavy cannon, a forty-two pounder, that had 
been resting above it. The prisoners were now suffer- 
ing from the foul and stagnant air. and were growing 
pale and weak. Many times had they begged and im- 
plored for better ventilation, but, receiving no attention, 
they determined boldly to make it for themselves, and to 
this end opened a large hole plain to the view, admit- 
ting the fresh air from the outside. When their jailer, a 
bad-tempered black man of the desert named Sossey, dis- 
covered this, he waxed exceeding angry, and threatened 
them with terrible punishment, asking at the same time 
who had " dared to do this act." 

'Porter stepped forward and informed the jailer that 
he was the guilty one. Innnediately he was hurried 
away from his com])anions and placed in solitary confine- 
ment in a horrible dungeon not more than eight feet 
sc|uare. On the second day he was brought before Sidi 
M()h;nnmcd. who expressed his sorrt)w that he could do 
nothing to help the prisoners, as the Bashaw was im- 



COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 135 

placable. But, nevertheless, Porter was returned to his 
companions and Sossey was removed from his position. 

But the failing spirits of all were revived when, on 
the I2th of July, almost at daybreak, a furious cannonad- 
ing was heard from the northward toward the mouth of 
the harbor. 



CHAPTER XV. 

"Preble is at it again. Hurrah!" exclaimed Porter 
with a laugh. " Oh, I wish we were there with him! " 

He dashed his heavy hat angrily down on the floor of 
the cell. 

" Come, let us go into the next room through our 
passageway," suggested Jones. " We can watch what's 
going on." 

No sooner had he spoken than a heavy explosion 
sounded quite near to them. 

" Hurrah! " cried Bainbridge. " Gentlemen, that was 
a good Yankee shell." 

Another one burst in the direction of the Bashaw's 
palace. 

*' I'll bet their high-cockolorum bowed his old head 
to that," said a middy. 

By this time the stones were removed, and as many 
as could crowd through into the next room did so. and 
soon the grated window and the aperture was filled with 
excited faces. 

"Just look at those three boats bear down on that 
division of the enemy — nine of them, by George! I'll 
wager that we'll see some tall fighting now." cried Jones. 

It was so far ofT that the boats looked to be mere 

dots. But the white smoke soon blotted out e\cn the 

details, and the firing became steady. W hen the breeze 

had cleared the air a little it was seen tliat tlirce of the 

Tripolitan gunboats had been taken and the others were 

136 



COMMODOKK BAIX]U<.I1)GE. 137 



in Bight, making- their way with plashing sweeps up the 
harbor. One of the l)ig gunboats was some lengths be- 
hind the rest. 

"Look there! Look there!" cried Jones, pointing. 
" See that small boat chasing the whole lot of them." 

" It's one of their own," suggested Smith. 

" You're mistaken, sir," said Bainbridge quietly, for 
his eyes were like those of a hawk. " That's one of the 
ship's cutters, and they're some of our lads putting their 
backs into that steady stroke." 

" They're after that last galley, then," roared Porter, 
" and they are going to catch her, too! Lll bet Decatur 
is in that cutter! " 

Just as he spoke the men at the oars tossed them in- 
board, and almost to a man they leaped for the side of the 
Tripolitan. The other five sail continued on their way 
and did not stop to help their companion. Soon the latter 
was observed to come about into the wind and, with the 
cutter in tow, make for the American line. She had been 
taken in five minutes! 

One of the Yankee gunboats had grounded near the 
crescent-shaped battery, where she was subjected to a ter- 
ril)le fire; but she managed to get off, replying pluckily 
the while with her one big gun. 

" Hurrah for the man who commands that little skip- 
jack! " shouted Lieutenant Hunt. 

" Cleverly done, indeed! " I'ainbridge exclaimed, rub- 
bing his hands together with delight. '' Did vou mark, 
gentlemen, how he crept out of range of that big gun on 
the point without receiving his fire? He is brave and 
clever." 

The captain did not know that it was his own brother, 

Lieutenant Joseph Bainbridge, whom he was eulogizing; 

nor did he know until a long time afterward that the little 

boat that had captured the lagging Tripolitan was com- 

10 



138 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

manded by Stephen Decatur, and that it was to revenge 
the death, or better, the murder of his own brother, by 
the corsair who held command, that had tempted him to 
set out in pursuit to seek revenge, for the Tripohtan 
had surrendered before and had then risen hke a dastard 
and annihilated the boarding party led by James Decatur. 
He paid the penalty a few minutes later. But all the 
story of the heroic deeds of those of the fleet has been 
told elsewhere. This is but a chronicle of the doings of 
Bainbridge and his fellow prisoners. Yet we must relate 
what they saw that day. 

Off to one side a separate little action w^as taking 
place. One American gunboat was fighting five of the 
enemy at pistol-shot range. This was the gallant Somers. 
the man who would never know defeat, and a cheer went 
up from the anxious watchers within the prison walls, as 
they saw all five of the corsairs make haste to join in the 
retreat. The Yankee boats pursued and the Tripolitans 
rallied in force, and it a])peare(l that the few American 
sail were in great jeopardy, for they were almost sur- 
rounded. But straight into the mouth of the harbor 
sailed the great frigate Constitution to the rescue! On 
she came until well within the range of the guns of the 
battery; then her broadside spurted ilanie and smoke, and 
the retreat of the brave little American squadron was 
covered. 

The Constitution came about within three cable 
lengths of the flanking fortress, and as she pointed hor 
nose once more toward the entrance of the harbor, she 
silenced the guns with the discharge of her port battery, 
while willi the starboard she sent shot and shell flying- 
over the walls of the city in among the houses and the 
palace gardens. 

The Bashaw had promised the i^eople of the city rare 
sport if the American fleet should ever venture within 




Watching tlic bombardment from the Tripoli prison cell. 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 139 



the harbor mouth. He had been watching the action 
from one of his windows, but when the Constitution tired 
that last broadside he fled unceremoniously and hid in 
his bomb-proof cellar chamber. 

Mr. Nissen was the only one of the foreign consuls 
who had stayed in town after the beginning of the bom- 
bardment, but he had become so devoted to the interests 
of his American friends that he remained at the risk of his 
life in order to be near them should his services be re- 
quired. Several shells fell in and about his house, but 
fortunately none of them had exploded. It had pained 
the lookers on, who hoped that the attack might result 
in their release, to see the withdrawal of the squadron; 
but they recognized that nothing could be gained by ven- 
turing farther into the harbor, and the gallantry of their 
companions put them all in good spirits and gave them 
much to talk about for some time to come. 

The result of this first action might be told in a few 
words: The three captured boats contained one hundred 
and three men. of whom forty-seven were killed and 
twenty-six wounded. Three of the enemy's vessels were 
sunk with all their crews, and a number of guns in the bat- 
teries along the shore had been dismounted. 

On the fifth day of August Mr. Nissen brought the 
news that Preble had returned all the wounded Tripolitan 
prisoners, and Nissen himself had heard one of the cap- 
tured officers say to the Prime Minister that the Ameri- 
cans in battle were fiercer than lions, yet in their treat- 
ment of prisoners they were even kinder than Mussul- 
men. The result of this humane treatment on the part 
of Commodore Preble was that the Bashaw, in thanking 
him. stated that if any injured Americans fell into his 
hands he would treat them with e(|ual kindness. 

Some neg-otiations in regard to the establishment of 
peace were now begun, but they were soon discontinued 



I40 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

owing to the extravagant demands of the Bashaw, who 
was yet very proud and haughty. 

A second attack upon the city followed, and much 
injury was done by round shot and shell. Most unfor- 
tunately, a small American vessel was blown up by a red- 
hot shot, losing ten of her crew killed and six wounded. 

On the 27th of August a third attack was begun, and 
an incident that occurred came very near ending Bain- 
bridge's career on earth. He had been unwell for some 
two or three days and was lying on his pallet of straw, 
when the rest of the officers hurried to the points of van- 
tage to watch the bombardment that had just begun. The 
Constitution had opened fire at long range, and it was 
by one of her shots that Bainbridge nearly lost his life. 
A thirty-two pound cannon ball struck squarely on the 
outside of the wall, almost above his head. The masonry 
gave way under the impact, and the captain was literally 
covered with almost a ton of stone and mortar. His 
officers, who w^ere at the end of the narrow cell, hastened 
to him and extricated him at once. It was found that his 
ankle had been badly crushed by the falling of a part of 
the embattlement, and he was covered with cuts and 
bruises. 

So hot had become the fire of the American squadron 
that the Tripolitan guards fled from their places on the 
terrace ramparts and hid behind the walls of the prison. 
Their cowardice excited the merriment of the Yankee 
midshipmen, and they were jeered unmercifully. Angry 
at this, the poltroons threw^ stones in at the prisoners 
through the windows that opened upon the yard. The 
midshipiucn armed themselves with bits of the debris scat- 
tered about their apartment and returned the fire, a most 
riotous proceeding in the eyes of the head jailer, for he 
threatened to shoot down the offenders if they did not 
desist. This stopped the miniature battle; but Bain- 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 141 



bridge wrote a note to Sidi ^Mohammed, complaining 
that the ouards had been the first offcnders^and he had 
the satisfaction of being informed that the villain who 
began all the trouble had been severely bastinadoed and 
dismissed. 

A few days later news was brought that the squadron 
was again entering the harbor, and soon the guns of the 
forts encircling the shore had begun to roar defiance. 

The enemy's galleys did not make much of a fight 
upon this occasion, and giving away, the American squad- 
ron pursued them within musket shot of the large fort 
on the east, the Tripolitan admiral congregating all of 
his fleet close under the walls. The Yankee squadron 
separated, and part of it sailed boldly in upon the mass 
of Tripolitan shipping, while the rest bravely engaged the 
forts. Two bomb ketches kept on until quite close to 
shore and began throwing shells into the town with great 
effect. But from their exposed position it was seen that 
they had no chance to survive the furious fire directed 
at them. They both seemed doomed, when all at once 
Preble, in the Constitution, came down as he had 
done before to help them out. So close was he to the 
terraces that the figures of the men upon the spar deck 
could be distinguished. Seventy guns were playing down 
upon him, but so rapidly and effectually did the Yankees 
serve their broadsides that the Tripolitans slackened their 
fire, and under cover of the frigate the bomb ketches re- 
treated safely. 

This time the Bashaw had received a severe fright. 
He had lost two more of his fleet, and suffered a great 
deal of damage by the shells that fell in the heart of the 
city. But, although the Americans had been subjected 
to a criss-cross fire, not a man was killed in the whole 
affair, and the damage to the squadron consisted mainly 
of wrecked spars and injured rigging. 



142 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



Under the orders of the Scotch-Turkish admiral it was 
concluded not to use the galleys except as an assistant 
force to the land batteries, and they remained moored 

stem and stern in a compact mass at the uj^per bend of 




A brass cannon captured from the Tripolitans, now at Annapolis. 

the harbor. Nothing could tempt them from their safe 
retreat. 

No other demonstration was made by the squadron 
during the following week, and despair and gloom settled 
upon the little band confined behind the gray stone walls, 
for it became apparent that the small fleet in the ofring 
could eft'ect little or nothing against the powerful bat- 
teries, although they might destroy considerable prop- 
erty in the city itself. 

A long period of captivity stared them in the face. 
Thev could see no end to it. and it was no easy matter to 
stir up the courage of the sick and despairing. 
r~ Between nine and ten o'clock on the evening of the 
4th of September, while tlicy were preparing themselves 
to pass through the long hot night, there came a terrific 
explosion that jarred the air and sent particles of plaster 
falling in all directions. .\ little midshijmian. awakened 
from his sleep, cried aloud in fright. The report had been 
preceded by a red flash, as if a great thunderbolt had 
exploded just outside their grated window. 

" \\Miat do you suj)pose that was." exclaimed Jones. 
starting up and rushing to the small ventilating window 



COMMODORE BAIN P.RI DOE 143 



that, owing to the kindness of their friend Sidi, had not 
been tilled in. 

Every one had crowded about him, but there was noth- 
ing to be seen except the darkness of the night. 

"Stop talking! Listen!" ordered Bainbridge. 

From the direction of the harbor came cries and dis- 
tant murmurings. A long wail, like a chorus of many 
voices, rose in the air and died away; then all was silence. 

'* A magazine has exploded," said Porter. 

" It sounded to me," replied Jones, " as if it came from 
out on the bay." 

In the morning they all learned what it meant. That 
explosion sounded the death knell of the gallant young 
Somcrs, the popular and well-beloved young officer who 
was known to all of them. Lieutenant Wadsworth, Mid- 
shipman Israel, and ten brave seamen shared his fate. 
And with them over two hundred Tripolitans lost their 
lives. Every reader of American history is familiar with 
the story of how Somers sailed in in the ketch Intrepid, 
laden with one hundred barrels of gunpowder, for the pur- 
pose of destroying the Tripolitan vessels huddled within 
the mole; how she had been boarded just before she 
reached her destination, and the terrible result of the ex- 
plosion, in what manner the trains of powder had been 
ionited has never been found out. It mav have been from 
accident, or it may have been done in a moment of des- 
peration by the heroic Somers himself. 

Two days later Bainbridge and his four lieutenants 
were permitted to view the bodies that had washed ashore. 
So mutilated and disfigured were they by the explosion 
that it was impossible to identify any of them. But over 
their eraves Bainbridge read a funeral service, and they 
were placed to rest with all the small honors that could be 
given them. 

All of these attacks made the Bashaw more inclined to 



144 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 

negotiation for peace, but yet his demands were considered 
exorbitant, and the United States sent out a larger squad- 
ron, under the command of Commodore Barron, who 
superseded Prel)le. the latter returning to America, leav- 
ing the Constitution under the command of his young 
friend, Stephen Decatur. The new commodore retired 
with his ships to Syracuse, and began making plans for 
active operations in the spring. It was now decided to 
attempt the reduction of Tripoli by means of a land force, 
acting in conjunction with the deposed ruler of the coun- 
try, for the Bashaw then upon the throne had usurped the 
power that rightfully belonged to his uncle. But this is a 
separate story. Not hearing from Barron, and receiving 
no news from their country for a long time, the unhappy 
prisoners deemed themselves deserted, and iiuhilged in the 
most desperate plans and projects for escape, one of which 
was to l)reak jail and storm the castle of the Bashaw. 
But, owing to the watchfulness of the guards, nothing 
was accomplished, and black despair settled down uiK)n 
them. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

At last word was brought again through Mr. Nissen 
that General Eaton, an officer of the American army, had 
joined forces with those of the deposed Bashaw's, and that 
they were marching through the deserts of Libya, with 
the intention of taking Tripoli in the rear. The Tripolitan 
potentate displayed great consternation at hearing this, 
and redoubled his efforts to increase the fortifications in 
and about the city. But one fine morning the Ameri- 
can squadron appeared off the harbor, and glorious in- 
deed was the sight of the flag. 

Negotiations now began in earnest, and the Bashaw 
appointed the Spanish consul to represent him in a con- 
ference held on board the frigate Constitution. When 
Bainl)ridge heard who had been chosen he became most 
anxious to apprise Commodore Barron, Rodgers, and 
Colonel Lear, United States Consul General to the Bar- 
bary powers, of the Spaniards' enmity toward the United 
States. Sidi Mohammed, the wise and far-seeing, also 
doubted the good will of the Bashaw's emissary, and was 
most anxious to come to some terms of settlement. 

The result of a conference held in the prison was that 
Bainl)ridge himself should solicit permission to pay a visit 
to the squadron under his parole of honor to return, and 
that his companions would pledge their lives for the carry- 
ing out of the promise. Porter was appointed spokesman, 
and with the assistance of Mr. Nissen he obtained an in- 
terview with Sidi Mohammed. The Minister of State 

145 



146 COMMODORE BAINHRIDGE. 

aj^reed that the plan was a good one, but doubted whether 
the Bashaw would consent to placing such trust in any 
one. As for himself, he declared that he would exact no 
pledge from Bainbridge but his own word of honor. After 
some deliberation he agreed to ask the Bashaw to con- 
sider it, and to use his best offices in gaining a favorable 
answer to the request. Thinking it might be a good plan 
to liavc something to show, he asked that the officers 
would draw up and sign a paper in order that he might 
show it to his High Mightiness. It was also thought 
best for the captain to acc()m])any liim to represent his 
cause. 

This Bainbridge agreed to, and he was witness to a 
remarkable scene. He had learned enough of the Ian- 
guage to understand what was going forward, and liis 
respect and admiration for Sidi Mohammed rose mightily, 
although he had always considered him most friendly. 

" Are you so mad as to believe that Captain Bain- 
bridge will return after getting on board a vessel of his 
own nation, simply because he has made a declaration to 
that effect? " asked the Bashaw with a sneer. 

The minister made a low bow. 

" You have the pledge of his officers." he answered. 

" True enough." the I>ashaw i)ut in. " but I value 
Captain Bainbridge as a prisoner more than all of his 
officers ])ut together, and I i)lace no reliance on their 
pledge." 

" Pray listen to me." answered the minister. " Your 
servant has lived long in Christian countries and has seen 
much of their officers, and he knows that the pledge of a 
jx'irole of honor is not to be broken." 

The liashaw shrugged his shoulders. 

" I have contracted a friendship for this American." 
wenl on Sidi Mohannni'd. " I lia\e I'ull confidence in 
his honor. You know that 1 am a Tripolitan by l»irlh. 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 147 



that all my affections are for my country, and that T would 
propose no measure hy which it would be injured. Grant 
Bainbridge's request, and I will leave my son in your 
castle, and in the event of his not returning according to 
my promise, you can take the head off him whose life I 
value more than my own." 

Although tlic privilege was absolutely unprecedented, 
the Bashaw could not but yield to these circumstances. 
But no one about the court believed that the Christian 
would return, and they considered Sidi Mohammed a 
ruined man indeed. 

On the hrst day of June, 1805. Bainbridge left the 
shelter of the castle in a small boat and was rowed off to 
the fleet. He spent the day in consultation with the 
officers, and returned late at night to the palace, where 
he waited upon Sidi Mohammed, who had not displayed 
the slightest anxiety, although the Bashaw had begun to 
rebuke him for inducing him to place the least reliance 
on the word of a " Christian dog." His surprise at see- 
ing Bainbridge was ill-concealed. When he heard the 
terms upon which the United States was disposed to treat 
he became furiously angry and declined to enter into fur- 
ther negotiations, but the next day a special meeting was 
held, and in place of the Spaniard, Mr. Nissen. the Danish 
consul, was selected to renew the negotiations, and went 
on board the Constitution to confer with the, American 
of^cers. Without trouble they came to an agreement 
upon which to form the basis of a treaty. 

On the 3d of June the Bashaw stated that he was 
ready to listen to propositions and to consider whether 
peace should be rejected or concluded. Bainbridge and 
Mr. Nissen were invited to be present at the council. 
The meeting was held in the large trial chamber of the 
palace. The members oT the Bashaw's cabinet and the 
invited guests and representatives sat about arranged in 



148 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 

the form of a crescent, the regent being in the center, 
his Prime Minister being on the right, and the Minister 
for State and Foreign Affairs on the left hand. The 
strangers were invited to be seated, and the Bashaw- 
turned to Captain Bainbridge. 

" In order that everything shall he perfectly fair." he 
said, " the debates on the subject of this treaty are to be 
carried on in French, and if you, sir, understand the lan- 
guage, you will be able to hear the opinions of my minis- 
ters from their own mouths. In thus admitting you to 
my private divan you have received an honor never before 
conferred on a prisoner in Barbary." 

Then arising with a great deal of dignity, he sub- 
mitted the question of '' peace or war with the United 
States." The various members of the council addressed 
the regent in turn in well-chosen words, in short but 
direct speeches. After the debate had continued to the 
end a vote was taken, and it was seen that of the eight 
who had the privilege of casting a ballot, only two were for 
peace — Sidi Mohammed D'Ghiers and the Rais of ^larine. 
Each requested the privilege of adding a few more re- 
marks, and with a great deal of eloquence they pressed 
their claim, with the result that two of the members 
came over to their side of the question upon a second 
voting. The Bashaw now arose. 

" Four of you are for peace," he said. " and four for 
war. Which ]:)arty shall I satisfy? How shall I act?" 

He hesitated and resumed his seat as Sidi Mohammed 
stepped forward. 

" You are our Prince and Master." the minister said, 
making obeisance. " Vou have not called us here to dic- 
tate to you, but to hear our opinions. It now remains 
for you to act as you please; but let me entreat you, for 
your own interests and the happiness of your people, to 
make it peace." 



CU.MMODURE LAINBRIDGE. 149 

Again he bowed low and returned to his seat. 

The Bashaw cast his eye about the half circle, and 
leaning forward, took a signet from the bosom of his 
silken gown and pressed it down upon the treaty. 

" It is peace! " he said. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

It did not take long to ratify the treaty, and Mr. 
Nissen brought it on board the flagship, signed with 
the Bashaw's signature in due form. 

Now it had been nineteen months and more since the 
day that Bainbridge and his officers liad found them- 
selves prisoners. On the morrow they would be free men. 
The news traveled quickly through the great prison where 
the crew were then confined. Cheer after cheer arose 
as the Tripolitan castle fired a salute of twenty-one guns, 
and from out in the harbor the Constitution answered it. 

The terms arranged upon were, in short, as follows: 
There should be an exchange of prisoners " man for man 
so far as they would go; that the Bashaw should send all 
the Americans in his power on board the squadron off 
Tripoli; that his subjects should be brought over from 
Syracuse and delivered to him with all convenient speed; 
and as he had three hundred Americans, more or less, and 
the United States squadron one hundred Tripolitans. 
more or less, the American commissioners encraeed to 
give for the balance in the Bashaw's favor $60,000; and 
that a treaty of peace should be made on honorable and 
mutually beneficial terms." 

The crew were distrilnited, upon their release, among 
the various ships of the squadron, and. without loss of any 
time, all sail was made to the northward. 

A jailer, a slave to the Trii)olitans, had treated them so 

kindly that they had insisted upon purchasing his free- 

150 



COMMODORE BAIMIRIDGE. 151 



dom, and they succeeded in so doing with the advance 
money from their waives to the amount of seven hundred 
dollars. 

At Syracuse a court of iiujuiry was held on board the 
Constitution, and an investigation was made under orders 
of the Secretary of the Navy in regard to the loss of the 
Philadelphia. Bainbridge was acquitted immediately and 
with honor; and as soon as possible he returned to the 
United States, landing in Hampton, \'a. 

He was received with every mark of approbation by 
the public and by the officials at Washington, and as soon 
as Congress had been informed of the high conduct of the 
Danish consul they passed resolutions of thanks to him 
for his benevolent actions. 

Although Bainbridge was appointed by the Secretary 
of the Navy to the command of the navy yard of New 
York, he found that his financial condition demanded 
attention; so. obtaining a furlough, he embarked once 
more in the merchant service, in which he passed two 
years. In 1808 he returned to the service and was ap- 
pointed to the position left vacant by the death of his old 
friend Commodore Preble. But affairs looked very 
stormy, owing to the continued impressment of Ameri- 
can seamen into the service of England. The Government 
at last concluded to order the best officers to active duty, 
and Bainbridsre was relieved of the command of the Port- 
land station and was ordered to repair on board the frigate 
President, then lying at Washington. There were many 
repairs to be made, however, before she was ready for sea, 
and it was not until July, 1809, that he started southward 
on a coastwise cruise. 

As hostilities between our country and England were 
imminent, and in Bainbridge'smind unavoidable, no trouble 
w-as spared to make the crew of the frigate under his 
command able and effective. During a long and stormy 



152 CUMMUDURE BAINIJRIDGE. 

winter he kept at sea, and when he returned in May of 
the next year no better drilled or disciplined body of men 
could have been found afloat. But affairs were about as 
usual, and war seemed no nearer than it had for the past 
five or six years. He was again in need of money, and 
as the pay of a captain in the service at this time was 
less than a hundred dollars a month, something had to 
be done, and. yielding to the strenuous advice of a num- 
ber of his friends, he accepted a position once more in 
the merchant service and proceeded on a voyage to St. 
Petersburg. 

When just inside the straits of the Baltic his vessel 
was captured by a Danish privateer and carried into 
Copenhagen. As luck would have it, he had not been at 
anchor more than a few minutes when who should come 
off to him in a small boat from the shore 1)ut his old 
friend Xissen. of Tripoli! The meeting between the two 
friends was cordial and their greetings more than hearty. 

Nissen said that he had just happened to hear that 
the captured ship claimed to be an American, and some 
one who landed from the privateer had remembered Bain- 
bridge's name. So at once he had hastened to tender 
his services. 

" The very strangest coincidence, mv dear sir." said 
Mr. Nissen, as he seated himself beside Bainbridge in 
the cabin, '' is that this very day — aye, only an hour ago — 
I received the handsome urn which you and the rest of 
my kind friends, whom I had the pleasure of meeting 
when they were guests of the Bashaw, had sent me. It 
has only now arrived owing to the fact of our war with 
England." 

"Yes. I remember," returned Bainbridge: "we or- 
dered it of a London silversmith, and 1 trust that you will 
live long to possess it." 

" Now, in regard to your being taken for an English- 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 153 



man. and the mistake of your being brought in here," 
Nissen continued, " leave it all to me and do not worry." 

In a few days Bainbridge parted from his old friend 
and went on to St. Petersburg, Nissen having com- 
pleted all arrangements for his release. 

His first voyage proving very successful, Bainbridge 
crossed the seas again to the same place. As he had been 
commissioned to undertake some valuable commercial 
negotiations, he determined to spend the winter at the 
capital, but hearing the news of the action that took place 
betw^een his old command the frigate President and the 
English sloop-of-war Little Belt, he perceived at once 
that hostilities would surely follow, and throwing aside 
all his business responsibilities, he determined to rejxirt 
himself at Washington as soon as he possibly could. 

During the winter the Baltic is closed to navigation 
and freezes over, and the only way for a traveler to reach 
the seaw^as by sledge overland through Sweden to Gothen- 
burg. The story of this journey would make a long tale 
in itself. Bainbridge was placed under the protection of 
the Russian Government, and after various adventures 
and great suffering, which included a severe cold and injury 
received from falling over a precipice with his carriage — 
for he had traveled by sledge, rowboat. horseback, and 
coach in this journey — with great difficulty he arrived 
at his destination. On the 31st of December he set sail 
on a merchant vessel, after resting for eleven days in the 
harbor in company with a number of English men-of-war. 

Bad fortune seemed to pursue him. Off the coast of 
Jutland three of the Englishmen were lost in a severe 
storm, and had it not been for the fact that Bainbridge 
obtained some influence over the commander of the ves- 
sel upon which he was a passenger, she too would un- 
doubtedly have been lost. It was found necessary to put 
back to the coast of Norway. 



II 



154 COMMODORK BAINI'.RIDGE. 



On the i3tli of January. 1812. the brig was again 
struck by a heavy gale while passing through the chan- 
nel between the Orkneys and the Shetland Islands. The 
English captain, hearing the cries that there were breakers 
on the port bow, immediately began to sing out orders 
that Bainbridge, who was standing near him, perceived 
would cause the vessel to be upon the rocks. Without 
leave or permission, and before the crew had time to obey 
their captain, he had countermanded the latter's orders; 
and the man at the helm, remembering Bainbridge's 
action of a few days previous to this, kept the vessel on 
her course, with the result that the rocks were passed and 
danger averted. 

After landing in England. Captain Bainbridge made 
all haste to Liverpool, stopping only for a visit to the 
American minister in London, to whom he delivered dis- 
patches. On the 1 2th of February he arrived at New 
York, proceeding at once to Washington, where he re- 
ported himself ready for active service. 

Congress was just at that moment deliberating on the 
subject of declaring war against Great Britain, and Bain- 
bridge learned, to his great sorrow and chagrin, that in 
a Cabinet council it had been determined to lay up all 
our frigates and vessels of war in ordinary, it being 
thought better, forsooth, to save what little we had rather 
than risk losing our small force in action with the gigantic 
navy at the disposal of King George. 

Bainbridge luckily met in Washington. Captain 
Charles Stewart, a braxe tighter, and. after a consultation, 
he proposed that they should draw up a paper remonstrat- 
ing strongly against the measure to the Secretary of the 
Navy. Thev rehearseil the conseciuences and the depress- 
ing effects of such action, and stated that the ofticers of 
the service would feel personally wronged if they were 
not permitted to at least court some of the dangers which 



COM M () I )()RK HAI N BRl I )GE. 



oo 



their companions on land were facing. Altogether they 
made an able defense of their position, and the letter 
accomplished its purpose — the vessels were not laid up as 
had been intended. 

Beine assured that he had succeeded, much relieved, 
Bainbridge hastened to assume his post. He found the 
Charleston yard in a bad condition, but he at once began 
to make extensive changes, and to prepare for building 
a large naval station. 

While in the midst of these operations the expected 
news was brou"ht to him of the declaration of war that 
had been passed on the i8th of June, 1812, by the United 
States against Great Britain. A land post was not the 
place for a man of Bainbridge's disposition. At once 
he applied to be sent to sea, and requested that he l)e 
given command of one of the frigates soon to be in readi- 
ness. The Secretary of the ]5|avy ordered him to the Con- 
stellation, and he was directed to proceed to Washington 
and fit her out with all dispatch. 

Before long the Constellation was almost ready to go 
to sea, and Bainbridge returned to Charleston to make 
arrangements for leaving his family before going upon 
a cruise. He had been but three days in Boston when 
in sailed Hull in the Constitution, and the news of the 
victory over the (nierriere flew about the town. 

Bainbridije hastened at once to meet with and con- 
eratulate his old friend, and there he. to his intense excite- 
ment. heard that Mull intended to remain on shore for a 
few months to attend to some private affairs. 

The Constitution was then the pride of the navy. She 
was a better sailer and a finer ship in every way than the 
Constellation; and as soon as Bainbridge found that Hull 
intended to give her up, he applied to Secretary Hamilton 
for the command of her. His reciuest was granted, and, to 
his delight, Bainbridge found that he had been appointed 



156 COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



to the command of a small squadron of three vessels, con- 
sisting of his own vessel, the Hornet under the command 
of his old shipmate Lawrence, and the Essex under the 
command of Porter, who had suffered in Tripoli with 
him. A rendezvous was appointed, and on the hfteenth 
day of September, 181 2. Bainbridge flew his first blue 
pennant. Porter, who was then at anchor in the Dela-" 
ware, was directed to set sail for the Cape Verd Islands, 
stop at Porto Praya, a bay in the island of Santiago, and 
from whence he was to proceed to the island of Fernando 
de Noronha. And if the Essex did not meet with theCon- 
stitution and Hornet at the last-named port, Porter was 
ordered to touch at the island of St. Catherine, and if 
unsuccessful, cruise to the southward, his only orders 
being to use judgment and to annoy the enemy's com- 
merce. 

It was the 26th of October when the Constitution and 
Hornet sailed from Boston together. Fair weather was 
met with, and the two vessels reached Fernando de No- 
ronha early in December. For some time they waited 
hoping that the Essex would join them. The island is 
a penal colony of Portugal; it was not a pleasant anchor- 
age, nor was their position exactly agreeable to Bain- 
bridge, for he was compelled to sail under false colors, 
something distasteful to his nature. The Portuguese 
Government was then in league with Great Britain, and 
both the Constitution and the Hornet flew the English 
flag. Bainbridge was representing himself as Captain 
Kerr of his Majesty's ship Acasta of forty-four guns, and 
the Hornet pretended to be the Morgiana of twenty 
guns. 

It was impossible to obtain a supply of fresh water at 
this ])lace, and so P)ainbridge determined to sail away, 
leaving a letter addressed to " Sir James Yeo." which was 
the name agreed upon that Porter would take if he 



COMMODORK I'- A I M'.Rl I)( i i:. 



15: 



stopped at tlio island. Bainbrid^c bade farewell to the 
( iovernor and made oft' for San Salvador. 

Althous^h Commandant Porter received the missive 
left for him, and followed ont the instructions contained 




UADACASCAR 



Ciipc of Good Hope 



Cruise of the Constitution, Hornet and Java. 

therein, he did not have the fortune of running across 
his superior officer, and following the dictates of his own 
judgment, he sailed on that remarkable cruise into the 
waters of the T^acific. 

Captain Lawrence entered the harbor of San Salvador 
leaving the Constitution anchored at the entrance. His 
instructions were to ascertain through the United States 
consul the disposition of the (Government of Brazil towaril 
the United States, and also to find out if there were any 



is8 COMMODORE HAI X 15 RIDGE. 







British cruisers on the coast, and what chance there was 
of picking up a British merchantman, lie had not landed 
from his vessel when he saw under the lee of a small island 
in the inner harbor a fine, loftily sparred sloop of war of a 
few more tons burden than his own, but not laree enousrh 
to frighten him. .Asking who she was. he was informed 
that it was his Majesty's corvette Bonne Citoyenne, the 
" Good Citizeness." and Mr. Hill, the American consul, 
informed him confidentially that the English ship was 
laden with specie and had been ready to sail for two or 
three davs, her destinv beine Eni^land. 

When Lawrence had an opportunity to speak to Bain- 
bridge he informed him joyfully of the news, and re- 
(juested permission to use every means to bring off an 
action between the Hornet and the English vessel. 

l>ainl)ridge gave his consent at once, and eairerlv Law- 
rence made preparations for the action that he thought 
was surely to take place. The next day Bainbridge, think- 
ing, perhaps, it would be an inducement for the Bonne 
Citovenne to leave her anchorage and come out and fiirht. 
sailed away, and Lawrence immediately sent the follow- 
ing conununication in to Consul I Mil: 

" When last I saw you I stated my wishes to meet the 
Bonne Citoyenne, and authorized you to make it known 
to Captain Cireen. I now recjuest you to state to him, and 
pledge my honor, that neither the Constitution nor anv 
other American vessel will interfere." 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

The British consul without delay transmitted the com- 
munication he had received from Consul Hill to Captain 
Green, but the English officer proved to be a very prudent 
man indeed, for he replied that while he did not doubt that 
he would be successful should a combat take place between 
his own vessel and the Hornet, he really doubted that 
Commodore Bainbridge would abstain from taking a hand, 
for the reason that the " Paramount duty which he (Bain- 
bridge) owes to his country would prevent him from be- 
coming an inactive spectator and seeing a ship belonging 
to the very squadron under his orders fall into the hands 
of the enemy." 

When the American consul had read Captain Green's 
reason for not wishing to meet Lawrence, he wrote imme- 
diately to his British friend, stating that Bainbridge had 
given assurance that he would confirm Captain Lawrence's 
statement, making use of the following words: " If Cap- 
tain Green wishes to try equal force. I pledge my honor to 
give him an opportunity by being out of the way or not in- 
terfering." 

Nevertheless, Green kept the harbor, and Lawrence as- 
siduously blockaded him. The Governor of Bahia, Count 
d'Arcos, had displayed a very unfriendly attitude toward 
the United States, and objected to the Hornet's anchoring 
in the harbor. Bainbridge. hearing of this and waxing 
wroth, as soon as he returned wrote a strong letter of re- 
monstrance to the count, and then again he set out alone 

159 



i6o 



COMMODORE BAINBRIDGE. 



in the Constitution after sending the following order to 
the waiting Lawrence: " I shall keep oil the land to the 
northward of latitude 12' 20", when you will meet me 
there, except you have great reason to believe the Bonne 
Citoyenne is coming out. In that case watch close and 
join me on Saturday next. May glory and success attend 
you." 

This was the morning of the 26tli of December, and 
three days later Bainbridge found the chance that he had 
so long been waiting for. 

It was 9 A. M., with a fine sailing breeze blowing, 
and the shore of Brazil bore about ten leagues oti" on the 



f 











A 



3.Ji 












Ball! a. 



ixirl hand when two sails \\ci\' sighted on the weather how. 
They were very distant, and it took over an hour's sailing 
to determine their character. Then Lieutenant A\lwin 



COMMODORl'- r. AINUKIlxii:. i6i 



reported to the cabin that the strangers were evidently 
large ships, and as the Constitution approached they 
parted company; one stood on to meet her, and the other 
made in to the land. 

Lieutenant Parker, of the Constitution, at lirst thought 
that the approaching vessel might be the Essex, but Bain- 
bridge, after a careful look through the glass declared her 
to be British, and at eleven o'clock he tacked to the south- 
ward and eastward, haulingnp his mainsail and taking in Ins 
royals in order to give the stranger an opportunity to draw- 
nigh. In half an hour he made the private signal for the 
(lav, and perceiving that it was not answered, he imme- 
diately set his mainsails and royals again, and made prepa- 
rations to get out his studding sails. (Jbserving one of 
the officers cast a curious look up aloft, Bainbridge turned 
and spoke to him laughingly: 

" It was merely to draw our friend off the coast and 
aw^ay from his consort," indicating the ship well inshore 
" We w'ill be exchanging compliments," he added, " in two 
lionrs or less, and I hope that before sundown we will have 
given a good account of ourselves." And by sundown 
indeed they had. 

Probably the commander of the English frigate, for 
such she had now proved herself beyond a doubt, supposed 
that the American (the Constitution had down her flag 
for an hour before it was answered) washed to escape him. 
But if this was his idea he was soon deprived of it. 

" Shorten sail, Mr. Parker," said Bainbridge quietly. 
•■ We'll tack ship in about ten minutes. Clear decks for 
action, sir! " 

It was a grand sight to see these two fine frigates ap- 
])roaching one another. The day was bright, their colors 
shone, and the crews were standing at the guns stripped to 
the waist. The sanded decks and the grim tables laid out 
below in the cockpit were notes that were entirely out of 



i62 COMMODORE BAIXBRIDGE. 



accord with Nature's aspect. There was an anxious mo- 
ment when it seemed that the other vessel wished to avoid 
a meetinij. But it was soon seen that this was but a feint; 
the oncoming Britisher, who now had a flag flying at her 
peak and mizzenmast-head. intended raking. The Con- 
stitution wore, and cleverly avoided her. 

" Well that's a strange thing! " remarked Lieutenant 
Ayhvin who had been a midshipman on board the Consti- 
tution in her flght with the Guerriere. " See, she has low- 
ered all her flags except the jack al the mizzenmast-head! " 
He glanced aloft at the spars of his own ship. 

From every masthead, from the peak, and from two 
places in the shrouds, fluttered the Stars and Stripes. 
Nearer the two frigates approached in dead silence. It 
was generally customary for vessels of the .American and 
English service to go into action cheering; but no one 
seemed disposed to lead off on the Constitution — it was 
too early in the game. 

At 2 p. M. the distance between the sliijis was less 
than half a mile. Bainbridge sent an order to the offi- 
cer in cliarge of the tliird dixision. ordering him to fire 
a gun ahead of the enemy, in order to make him show 
his colors. No sooner was this cbinc than the F.nglish- 
man rei)lic(l with a broadsitlc, antl ran his flag up to the 
peak again. 

For fully fi\e minutes the Constitution did not replv; 
but when she had her antagonist, who was well \.o leeward, 
within grapeshot distance she began the action in earnest, 
and in the first few exchanges it aj'jj^eared that matters were 
going hard indeed, for she a])peared to have the worst 
of it. l^ainbridge was talking to Lieutenant Parker, when 
suddenly the latter saw him flinch and droj) his hand to 
his side. I'-ut he continued the conversation, remarking 
the good elfect of the Constitution's gunnery upon the 
enemy. 



Il 



7^1 







c 



COM iM () 1 )() R E B A I N P. R 1 1 )( ; i:. i (>;, 



" Voii arc wounded. Captain P>ainl)n'(lge! " exclainud 
the lieutenant, suddenl}- glancing" down. 

I'ainbridgc was pressing his hand tightly against 
his hij). 

" It's nothing," he said; "at least 'tis not dangerous, 
I'm sure. Call no attention to it, sir! " There was the 
ring of an order and not an entreaty in his w^ords. 

Parker saluted and said nothing further. At this mo- 
ment a round shot from one of the enemy's after guns en- 
tered a port, struck the breech of one of the carronades, 
and then bounded like lightning across the deck. In a 
second the air was full of splinters. They rose like a cloud 
of dry dust. P)ainl)ridge and the officers on the quarter- 
deck hurried forward to see wdiat damage had been done. 
The wheel had been shot away completely! The quarter- 
master and the seamen who were at the spokes were lying 
badly wounded on the deck. At first glance this loss 
would have seemed quite irreparable. 

" There's more than one way to steer a ship! " Pain- 
bridge exclaimed. " Order eight men down into the after 
hold, and station three midshipmen on the after com]ian- 
ion ladders to pass the word." 

During the rest of the engagement the Constitution 
was handled by means of steering tackles from below. 

The way her guns were now replying to the constant 
fire of the English frigate delighted Painbridge's heart. 
They were served with precision and trained with accuracy, 
and as he attempted to close, the Englishman's jib boom 
was shot away, then the bowsprit, and at five minutes past 
three dowm came his foremast by the l^oard! Only a few- 
minutes before this ha])pened the Constitution had crossed 
her antagonist's bows so close as to foul her mizzen rig- 

Bainbridge had again been wounded, this time by a 
copper bolt, which was driven with great force into his 



ir,4 ((niMODORK HAINHRIDGE. 



tliioh; l)nt lie woiilrl not leave the deck, and scarcely 
would he permit the suri^eon to attend to him, so en- 
grossed was he in handling ship. 

it would take a seaman's knowledge to follow the vari- 
f)us manoeuvres of the latter part of the action. Bain- 
hridge's journal speaks of the succession of incidents in the 
following laconic fashion; " It was five minutes past three 
when the enemy's foremast was shot away. At fifteen 
minutes past three, shot away his main-topmast just above 
the cap. .\t forty minutes past three, shot away the gaff 
and spanker boom. At fifty-tnc minutes past three, shot 
away his mizzenmast nearly by the board. At five minutes 
past four, having silenced the fire of the enemy completelv. 
and the colors in his main rigging being down, we supposed 
that he had struck. We then hauled down our courses 
and shot alicad to repair our rigging, which was extremely 
cut. leaving the enemy a complete wreck; soon afterward 
discovered that the enemy's fiag was still flying. Hove to 
to repair some of our damage. At twenty minutes past 
\nu\\ wore slii]) and stood for tlic enemy. .At twent\"-tl\"e 
minutes past li\e, got very close in a very eft'ectual raking 
j)()sition athwart his bows, and when about to fire he most 
])rudently struck his flag, for had he sufl'ered the broadside 
to have raked him his additional loss must have been ex- 
tremely great as he lay an unmanageable wreck upon the 
water." 

As soon as it was seen that the English frigate was a 
])rize, the Constitution's crew broke out into loud and con- 
tiiuK'd cheering. r.ainbvidge turneil to Lieutenant 
I'arker with a smile of satisfactitui and ordered him to 
lower a\\a\- the first cutter, which was the ou]\ boat capa- 
ble of floating. Soon she was al<»ngside. and her crew 
tumbled intt) hei' most eagerly. 

It was seven o'clock when kicntenant rarker returned, 
bringing with him Lieiilenanl Lliads. tirst oi his Majesty's 



COMMODORE BAINHRIDCiK. 165 



thirty-eight-gun frigate Java; Lieiitenant-General Hislop, 
Governor of Bombay; and Major Walker and Captain 
Wood, of his staff. Lieutenant Chads, who was shghllv 
wounded, brought the message that his commander was 
too badly hurt to be moved. Hearing that the loss of liic 
on board the Java had been extremely great, and taking 
into account the complete wreck to which she had been 
reduced, every exertion was now made for transferring the 
prisoners and wounded, for it was determined to destroy 
her instead of trying to bring her into port. 

The wounded Captain Lambert was brought over 
and placed in Bainbridge's own cabin, and everything 
was done to alleviate his sufferings. Despite his own 
painful wounds, the American captain did not leave 
the deck until after eleven o'clock on the night of the en- 
gagement. 

There has been not a little controversy in regard to the 
numbers engaged in the action on both sides. The Con- 
stitution was undoubtedly the superior in the number of 
guns and men. She carried fifty-four guns and four hun- 
dred and eighty men composed her crew, of whom nine 
were killed and twenty-five wounded. The Java, despite 
her rating as a thirty-eight, carried forty-seven guns and 
four hundred and twenty-six men, out of which she lost 
sixty killed and one hundred and one wounded. 

The next morning the Java was blown up, and the Con- 
stitution was so little injured that she was in readiness to 
begin another action if it were necessary. Both captains 
were now dangerously ill, and poor young Lieutenant Ayl- 
win had died from severe wounds only a few hours after 
the Java had struck her flag. Under luiinbridge's direction 
everything was done that could ])ossibly help to the com- 
fort of the wounded prisoners, and it was decided to land 
them all under parole at Bahia. 

Just before the landing, when the English captain was 



iG6 



C( )M MO I)f )RE liAI N IJRI I )( ; K. 



.t 



brought up on deck, Bainbridt^e, supported by surgeon 
I'.\ans and Lieutenant Shubrick. approached the cot 
uj)()n which Lambert hiy. Placing the 
sword that had been surrendered to him 
beside the sul'fering man. he leaned over 
him, and with great emotion spoke as 
follows: 

1 return your sword, ni}' dear sir, 
with my sincerest wish that you will recover 
and wear it, as you ha\e liithcrto done, with 
honor to yourself and to your country." 

Lambert murmured his thanks, and 
gras])ed Bainbridge's hand in his feeble 
lingers. 

(leneral Hislop j)resentcd to Bainbridge 
a handsome sword, not in surrender, but in 
token of gratitude for hi> conduct and treat- 
ment of those unfortunates whom the fate 
of war had ])laced in his keeping. 

The cordial relations established be- 
tween Iniinbridge and the Governor Gen- 
eral were of a lasting character, and the 
latter was always proud to speak of the 
American captain as his friend. 

When the Constitution arrived off San 
SaKador she found the little Hornet still 
maintaining the blockade of the port, and 

ItiuTe r.ainbridge left hei". As the Essex 
] had failed to keep her rendezvous, he 

.Sword presented deemed it best to return to the L^nited 
to i{aint)ridge States, and so he set sail on the 6th of Janu- 
l)y Gen. Hislop ary, 1813. ( )n the Jjth of the fc^llowing 
o lie Java. nioutli lie arrived in Boston, and frt)m a pa- 
per ])ublishe(l two clays after his arrival the following ex- 
tract is taken: 




I?ainbric1i;c's reci-ption at Boston. 



coMMuDoRi': i;aim!I<ii)(;e. 167 



** Captain Bainbridf^e landed at the T.ono- Wharf amid 
loud acclamations and roaring of the cannon from the 
shore. All the way from the end of the pier to the Ex- 
change Coffee House was decorated with colors and 
streamers. 

A procession was formed in Faneuil Hall by Major 
Tilden and was escorted by the Boston Light Infantry 
and the W'inslow Blues. Decorations and streamers were 
strung across State Street, while the windows and the 
tops of the houses were filled with spectators. Captain 
Bainbridg:e was distinguished bv his noble figure and 

O O •- til 

by his walking uncovered. On his right hand was the 
veteran Captain Rodgers, and on his left Brigadier-General 
Welles; then follow^ed the brave Captain Hull, Colonel 
Blake, and a number of otficers and citizens. But the 
crowd was so immense that it was difficult to keep the 
order of the processions. The band of music in the bal- 
cony of the State Bank and the music of the Xew England 
Cruards had a fine effect. 

On the 2d of March a splendid public dinner was 
gi\en in the Exchange Coffee House to Captain Bain- 
bridge and his officers. The procession was formed at 
l\'uieuil Hall and was escorted amid the applause of the 
citizens l)y a battalion composed of the l)OSton Light In- 
fantry and the Winslow Blues, commanded by Colonel 
Sargeant. Before sitting down to the table the blessing 
of Almightv God was asked in a most impressive manner 
by the Rev. Mr. Holley." 

Although the victory over the Java was the culmi- 
nating deed of Commodore Bainbridge's career, he lived to 
serve his country longer, and the results of his good judg- 
ment and nautical skill in the building of navy-yard docks 
and in the revision of the signal code were of great value to 
the service. 

From his example many young officers profited, and 



i68 COMMODORK HAINHRIDGE. 



from the teachings of his Hfe those now living can learn 
the proper meaning of patriotism. His last words, spoken 
in delirium, were an index to his character. " Call all 
hands." cried he. rising in his bed, " and prepare to board 
the enenn I " 



IHK I.\D. 



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